Finding Ourselves in the Frontier

Written By Paul McDonald

This episode kicked of an epic conversation with Jay Heck back in the summer of 2021 as we started a three part series discussing the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Join us as we uncover the power of hiddenness to produce character and integrity. We see the mark of maturity in a man is a reluctance to accept the power being offered to him. How do we find contentment in the wild, the invisible fringes where our most important role is? Join us as we discuss this and more as we discover God’s truth in this movie.

About Jay

Jay Heck is married to Heather, with son Baer and daughter Bozlie. He is the Director/Founder of Being Sons, an "Outfitter" of the masculine soul. God changed Jay when He invited him to follow the rabbit hole of identity as His son, and that changed everything. Now he creates content and adventures to help men discover their identities as sons.

Read more about Being Sons at their website: www.beingsons.com

Check out the Being Sons Podcast

Subscribe to the Being Sons YouTube channel - short videos to illuminate sonship

Adventures include:

Quotes 

  • When I watch the Lord of the Rings, I feel like I’m watching the story I’m living in. 

  • It’s easier to fight small battles on a small scale, but we know we’re made for more. 

  • We are staring at what could be our future, and are terrified. 

  • We fear that inevitably we will fail those most important to us, and end up by ourselves. 

  • You will fight for what you love most. 

  • Many men have not received the invitation to see themselves as God sees them. 

  • Beauty calls us to strength and heals grief. 

  • The great kings are the ones who love what they are fighting for most. 

  • We have an ache, this hole in our hearts that will never be satisfied by the story we are pursuing in this life. 

  • Aragorn had to develop the character capable of carrying the kingdom.    

  • The key to authentic masculinity is being a child and trust fully in the Father, as Jesus did.  

  • We miss the assignment we’ve been given because it doesn’t look like the one we want. 

  • If you don’t bloom in the small kingdom where you’re called, you’ll never be a good and noble seed to be planted in a much larger story. 

  • The mark of maturity in a man is a reluctance to take power offered to him. 

Themes 

  • There’s a story I’m living in that I can’t see. 

  • The transformation of Aragorn—from a whiny loner, one who wanders, stands in the gap, overlooked, battles hidden enemies, afraid of his glory, reluctant leader, chosen exile. He’s hidden for years in preparation for his assignment.  Starts as an orphan, and becomes more than he thought possible. 

    • Aragorn is afraid of his weakness, being like his ancestor—Arwen calls out his strength.  She sees the man he’s destined to become. 

    • Fighting on the fringes of a battle that no one knows is being fought. 

    • We desire to be part of a larger story, to have a life of significance, but face the fear of our past and our failures. 

    • The power of beauty to invite us to strength, and soothe the grief we experience.   

    • Toxic masculinity vs true masculinity—the idea that men are what’s wrong with the world. “Men are the reason evil still exists.” 

    • Aragorn as a picture of Jesus—a king in exile, hidden, who might not appear to be doing much, and we wait for him to return. Healer, warrior, poet. Can fight the religious leaders in one moment, and heal the leper with a tender touch the next. 

    • The evolution from the small story to a big story. We can’t be the center of our story—we would never find satisfaction.   

    • We can’t be king until we have gone through the tests and trial to develop our character, until we’ve learned to handle the pressure of becoming a warrior, healer, poet, and leader. 

    • Aragorn’s success did not depend on the fellowship staying together, but in his integrity and character when it falls apart. Our mission is fluid. 

  • Our mission is to bring peace, while the enemy sows seeds of division. 

  • Being childlike will prove to be resilient to the power of evil.  

  • Friendship can be more important than strength in arms or great wisdom. 

  • We all have a role to play that only we can accomplish. The roles that are most hidden are the most important. 

  • Sometimes we have to walk away from external success in order to develop internal character and integrity.  

  • The hardest and best decisions often feel like death. 

Resources 

  • The Chosen: https://watch.angelstudios.com/thechosen  

  • “We can’t live above the identity we’ve embraced.” –Morgan Snyder 

  • “The enemy is full of cruelty, malice, and a desire to control all life.”

  • “Some things that should not have been forgotten were lost.  History became legend and legend became myth.” 

Questions 

  • What character resonates most with you? Who do you most want to be? 

  • What battles are you fighting? 

  • What role would you like to play in your life?  Where do you face fear in stepping into that role? 

  • Where do you say, “I can’t do this.”? Where do you feel paralyzed? 

  • How do you think God sees you?  What would His words be to you? 

  • How would you define true masculinity? 

  • What does success or failure look like? How do you define it? 

  • Where you are being asked to do something, although you do not know the way? 

  • Where are you in the process of initiation?  Do you need to lay something down, or pick up the crown? 

More info

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Edited and mixed by Grayson Foster

Logo and episode templates by Ian Johnston

Audio quotes performed by Britt Mooney, Paul McDonald, and Tim Willard, taken from Epic (written by John Eldredge) and Song of Albion (written by Stephen Lawhead).

Southerly Change performed by Zane Dickinson, used under license from Shutterstock.

Links:

Paul McDonald
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