Layers in Words

I love words, how they form, move, and the power they hold.  Powerful words of recognition, of hope, of disappointment, of anger, of peace; they move from thoughts to lips and then are composed in sound, riding out in waves upon our ears.

Words in the hands and mouth of the right people can bring out layers of meaning, words which build us up and inspire us to think and learn.  Tolkien is one of these word smiths, a user of words that contain layers of meaning.  One of my favorites is: “All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, a light from the shadows shall spring; renewed shall be blade that was broken, the crownless again shall be king,” (Tolkien).

Let’s take it layer by layer……

All that is gold does not glitter

Now obviously there is a top layer reference, there are some metals that look like gold.  In reality, they are covering something which will tarnish in a very short time.  Other things can be that way as well.  I’ve been around people who can appear like gold for a while, charming and present a wonderful cover.  Then, they tarnish before my eyes.  They don’t turn green physically, though sometimes it might be better if they did to warn the rest of us.  But, they do have the capability to turn us a sort of green, rubbing off the fake gold onto us.  Perhaps a situation is showing itself to be fools gold, it looks like it is something valuable: an opportunity, a promotion, a new move, or a new challenge.  Everything looks wonderful and then we find out that it is not what we thought.  No, not all that is gold glitters or is of worth.

not all those who wander are lost

I love this one!  I have been a wanderer so many times, seeking out new ideas and new truths.  Just because I seek constantly or want to learn new and at times rather obtuse topics does not mean I am lost.  Also, there is real physical wandering, sometimes I can wander about in a new place to see what is there, taking a different route, or going exploring.  This doesn’t mean that I am lost.  So, lost as in without direction or just plain lost does not always go hand in hand with wandering. 

the old that is strong does not wither…

Take time to examine a giant old tree, looking at how the bark sits upon the core of wood protecting it.  The branches lean out, holding life giving leaves.  The age of the tree being great does not mean necessarily that it is weak.  Those great trees in our lives, surrounded by wisdom and experience have much to offer us through the sheltering branches.  Age and wisdom, not in themselves synonymous, in the hands of the old soul who is gifted with prayerfully received insight are powerful.  Their lessons do not dim over time, with physical aging, or as the body ages and slows down.

deep roots are not reached by the frost…

Oh the frost - I have experienced this before.  Let’s take this again one layer at a time.  The frost comes during the winter beginnings; the grass is coated with an icy layer and if you step on it crunches underfoot.  The plants above ground or those which are lightly rooted will droop as a result, starting their cycle of dying off for the winter.  Next year, new seeds will come back.  But, sometimes we have deep frosts and the plants do not come back in the spring.  Other plants will have leaves drop, flowers and whither as the frost comes.  In spring however, they will come back with new growth.  Their roots are deep enough to be protected in the frost.  Note that it is the roots that are not reached by the frost.  Have you ever had a frost moment, a moment when part of you is withered and dies?  Plant the roots deeply, they will be protected from frost.  The leaves will drop or at least be withered, which may come in the form of hurt feelings, pains, or the groaning of a spirit.  The blooms that were our shining moments, our great accomplishments dim and may even be stripped from us.  During these times it can be so difficult to understand that the roots are safe.  

from the ashes a fire shall be woken…

In the winter, I love the feel of a wood fire, producing heat different than the central heat in the house, richer and more deeply permeating through my skin.  The wood fire produces ashes, coating the wood stove and settling slowly into the bottom.  At the same time, they hold coals and gather the heat.   Stir up the ashes containing these coals, put in some kindling, open up the stove to allow the movement of fresh air, and a fire can be rekindled.  Ashes in our life are much the same way.  We can have a fire in our life, some sort of tragedy that burns everything down around us.  But, God can rekindle the fire in our lives, repairing and relighting.  Rebuilding occurs with work, materials, and the flow of air.  God provides the materials and the air.  We must provide the work.  

a light from the shadows shall spring…

In the early morning when it is still dark out go and wait, facing the east.  Slowly you will see light spread out over the sky and then the earth.  Shadows will grow longer, then lessen, finally spilling light which will cover the land.  Light can come from the most unlikely of places and even a little light can dispel the darkness.  Sometimes, it is an unexpected word or touch that brings light.  The word of God is referred to as light.  In the darkest span of life, there can be light that comes as you discover how God is working in your life.

renewed shall be blade that was broken…

A blade that is broken, a sword that is shattered must be put through a smith’s forge to be renewed.  The metal needs to be tempered and folded carefully to renew the blade.  If you have ever been broken or shattered, it is the forge of faith, the forge of God that renews.  A forge heats the material, removing impurities and making it malleable in the hands of an expert smith.  The difficulties in life are renewing, rebuilding even when it does not seem possible at the time.  God is the expert smith who renews the blade, purposing our hurts into something good for His purpose.

the crownless again shall be king…

A king is typically thought of as having a crown, something regal and official looking, decked out in precious metals.  A crownless king is someone who presumably has lost power.  I think of Christ who appeared to have been without power, without sovereign control.  In those moments when this appeared the most; right before and during the crucifixion.  This was really a time when the King – the true King was reigning in his great majesty.  But, the actions he took were beyond our understanding. And the crownless Christ was crowned by His father, and returned to heaven.

“All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, a light from the shadows shall spring; renewed shall be blade that was broken, the crownless again shall be king,” (Tolkien).

The words are just a few stanzas in one book, just a few phrasing of thought strung together in words.  Yet, they contain meaning that is in depth, in layers of depth.  Search for the depth in your words and make sure that they are really what you intend.