Lyrics -- "Into the West" from Return of the King

I like to sit through the credits. I'm not in the industry hunting for a name that I know. Rather, I like to listen to the music.

In Return of the King, after 5 minutes of product ads, 15 minutes of movie trailers then you get 3+ hours of a great movie and then you get the credits.

The design is in the form of pencil sketches of the actors and some of the sets and locales and of course the sound and music is "Into the West" with the amazing voice of Annie Lennox.

You can find the lyrics here.

Here they are with a few comments from me:

Lay down
Your sweet and weary head
The night is falling
You have come to journey's end
Sleep now
And dream of the ones who came before
They are calling
From across the distant shore

Theologically, what is heaven? How is it pictured?

One picture is: reunion.

I've only lived 40 years on this earth but I've been to more than a few funerals and when I think of those individuals, I think of seeing them again on the other side.

A few weeks ago, I went to a wake and there was sadness because loved ones are deprived of the presence of the departed. But there is the knowledge that his soul has now been released from his body broken by age and illness and that he is enjoying a new body in the presence of God. And we know one day, we will all meet again.

Why do you weep?
What are these tears upon your face?
Soon you will see
All of your fears will pass away
Safe in my arms
You're only sleeping

Fear and doubt are a real and powerful part of our earthly life. In talking with other Christians, sometimes we feel guilty about the fears and doubts we have. But as I have grown older, I have come to recognize I notice I almost always have such feelings. Maybe some have such great faith that they don't have that experience. That simply hasn't been my experience.

Does that mean I do not have faith?

Faith isn't wishful thinking that I hope something that is NOT true will turn out to be true. Rather, faith is a certainty and assurance about things unseen and hoped for. And the truth of faith we experience will vary in its emotional constancy and completeness of knowledge.

However, finally, faith manifests itself how we choose to live life.

What we can't allow is for fear and doubt to lead to paralysis in living life to the fullest taking risks in loving without reservation and doing what is good, true and right no matter what the cost.

In the end, that in my mind is the most powerful aspect of the Lord of the Rings story. Yes, I enjoy the fanciful aspect, the great scenary and the action and adventure. But at its core, it is a deeply human story of love and friendship and doing what is good and right and how both go together.

It always boggles my mind when people talk about spirituality in terms of isolating oneself in the mountains. Yes, there is definitely a place for meditation and retreat but in the end, we also need each other. Thus, I defend the "institutional" church for all its flaws (being comprised of flawed humans it is inevitable) because if we are alone we are tempted by self-deception and have no support when our strength for life wanes.

What can you see
On the horizon?
Why do the white gulls call?
Across the sea
A pale moon rises
The ships have come to carry you home

And all will turn
To silver glass
A light on the water
All Souls pass

Hope fades
Into the world of night
Through shadows falling
Out of memory and time
Don't say
We have come now to the end
White shores are calling
You and I will meet again
And you'll be here in my arms
Just sleeping

And all will turn
To silver glass
A light on the water
Grey ships pass
Into the West

What is heaven?

Aside from reunion, there is the picture of a peaceful place.

In the Return of the King, as the orcs were over-running the city, Gandalf talked with Pippen about how death is not the end.

Gandalf: End? No, the journey doesn't end here. There's another path; one that we all must take. The gray rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and it will change to silver glass, and then you see it.
Pippin: See what?
Gandalf: White shores; and beyond them, a far green country under a swift sunrise.

For more quotes like that, check out the IMDB.

Yes, I suppose some people are so virtueous that they will fight for what is right just because it is right even if there is no after-life. But, somehow, if this is all there is then self-pleasure and self-preservation would have no counter-weight. For me, there is comfort in knowing that there is something beyond this life.

What is heaven?

Reunion. Peace.

One more thing: celebration.

The Good Book says of a day in the future:

Behold, a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, salvation to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.

It is just over the horizon, can't see it yet, I hear it faintly. Am taking little baby steps toward it with each day in life. While we are at it, we can sing some now.