Tolkien and the Long Defeat - The Gospel Coalition Blog

Tolkien and the Long Defeat - The Gospel Coalition Blog

"Whether or not we think our world is in decline is up to each one of us. But in application, we see this life principle guarded against pessimism by love and hope. Fighting the long defeat is not meant to protect our hearts from suffering or lead to resignation. I am reminded of a wise counselor's words to me when I complained that, after all this counseling, I seemed to cry more frequently than before: 'What made you think counseling would cause you to cry less?' Fighting the long defeat is meant to push us towards full, unapologetic engagement before a Judge standing outside of time."