Yeah, I feel like so much of my work the last couple years ends up accidentally saying in too many words what Aquinas said in one sentence: Gratia non tollit naturam, sed perficit.
God mostly whispers to me, he does not shout (though I often wish he would!). Authority doesn’t need force.
A friend of mine was a man of Godly authority, it emanated from him. His passion was getting up early and studying his bible (even though his understanding of history, science and philosophy were amazing too). The bible was A#1 for him. He did this for decades and the authority developed. Authority was never his aim and I know he didn’t even realize he had it, but there it was. His last words to me were “I’m going to be with my king!” I didn’t fully appreciate those words at the time, but I’m getting it now.
I don’t get to read much, but this series has been unbelievably worth it. Thank you! If I ever see you in the water I owe you a set wave. 😉
Man, this is such a beautiful picture of what I'm talking about. Thanks for sharing. I'm glad if all my series did was make you a little more grateful for men like that. You surf?! Where's your home break? Since you owe me a set wave, I'm going to have to come there and collect. Haha
Yeah, my buddy was such a gem. There’s always a void when we lose loved ones, but with his passing there was/is this huge void that’s still so massive. Maybe that’s just the natural result of a loss of or lack of authority, right?
Been surfing for probably 45 years now. I found you by one of Brett Barley’s postings funnily enough, but don’t remember specifics. I surf primarily in southern NJ when time allows… and it doesn’t allow enough! I thought retiring would fix that, but it hasn’t! 😏
Thank you for your writings and being faithful to God’s call. I’m in a season of slowing down so I’m going to try and read here more consistently.
As I read this ( excellent) post, CS Lewis’s “deeper magic” came to mind, maybe it would be something like: good power (magic), bad power (dark magic), and this call-and-response/mastery/authoritative faith (deeper magic). I want to know what this means for a faithful head (father/husband) to live this out, would love to hear from you about this. It seems to me the only cure for chaos in the world, is order in the home, and I believe that all starts with the husband and father. I would love to hear you talk about the work you’re doing here in that context sometime.
Thanks Jeff! I think your comparison to Lewis’s deeper magic is right on. That’s exactly the sort of thing I’m getting at. And yes, I also think one of the central places to begin practicing what I’m talking about is in the home. I wrote about my own marriage and how this dynamic plays out in “Partnership Over Compromise” here: https://open.substack.com/pub/rossbyrd/p/partnership-over-compromise?r=c2xi0&utm_medium=ios
Look forward to checking all this out. As I read this part 3, I was curious if you’ve read “In the house of Tom Bombadil” by CR Wiley. All about Tom Bombadil and true dominion. Really really good. Wiley makes a comment about Bombadil that I think was really profound, that Tom - being perfectly in tune with nature - shows us what masculine authority looks like as God restores us to our nature.
I'm reminded of Lewis's statement in The Abolition of Man - I'm going from memory here, so excuse any inaccuracy - that the high-water mark of magic in Europe happened after (or with), not before, the scientific revolution. The ideal 'creation' of the demons was a combination of scientist and wizard. The parallels with today hardly require ferreting out.
Exactly. Very cool you had that part of Abolition of Man come to mind, because I will likely be beginning my fourth installment of this series with a long quote from exactly that section of Lewis's essay.
You've given us much to consider here, Ross. I have never quite known what to do with Tom Bombadil. His presence makes the life-and-death matter of destroying the ring seem somehow insignificant, which of course it isn't, and if the company took on this attitude, Sauron would win (for good men would do nothing, as Burke says) and yet maybe brushing against this attitude (this reality of something greater than the ring) is what allowed Frodo to resist for so long. I never considered Frodo singing Tom's song as somehow protective, or something that he carried with him when he left Tom's presence. I need to think about this more. Logically, I should just reread the entire series and then get back to you in a couple weeks. Ha! I have noticed certain camps of charismatics acting like they are saying incantations, and yet many other camps treat their words as irrelevant. Our words do have power, but only because God has made us in his image and granted that our words join his. Hopefully it doesn't come across like I'm infantilizing your arguments when in fact I'm trying to appropriate them into my everyday thinking. Sometimes when I sit and type out an essay's points, agreeing with them and sorting them out, it sounds like I'm either stating the obvious or arguing with the conclusion, when in fact I'm just trying to grab hold of the key points. Thank you for another thought provoking read!
Abigail, what a great comment. I do exactly the same thing. I like to talk/write out what I’m thinking about. I’m tracking with you all the way. So glad this helped to bring up those thoughts.
Tis truth. You know it because it has within it the ability to change the hearts and minds of men. " and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Another thought that comes up after letting this marinate is the usefulness of sport mastery alongside the instrument as metaphor. Like the tortoise/hare example, there is no shortcut to achieving true excellence/mastery in a sport & gaining the necessary extent of dominion/authority over your own body and the instruments of the sport, whether they be ball, racquet, or surfboard. You must grow a genuine relationship with these to become a master, and that takes considerable time and a certain humility.
I can only really speak for tennis, but the player most revered in our sport’s history is Roger Federer, and an analogy/nickname very often used to describe his play was “maestro” because it seemed the ball and even his opponent were at his disposal to command and conduct. Novak Djokovic is objectively more accomplished, but Federer still receives greater praise - and I’ve always been convinced it is because his play is true play, which is to say it is art in motion, or maybe in your words here it is some very distant echo of true dominion.
Grey! I somehow completely overlooked this epic comment. My apologies. This is the perfect image of what I'm talking about. I literally used this example of Federer vs. Djokovic with my dad over the holidays. Crazy you thought of the same. Yes, a distant echo of true dominion. In my final piece, I'm thinking of using a similar image (but of surfing) as another echo of the same idea of mastery. So glad you brought this up.
Dang this topic very eloquently covered something I have been pondering a lot recently. I've been thinking in my head how much damage has been done in our society because people want to cheat the system. People are so obsessed with hacking things and cheating well known processes that they end up hurting themselves and those around them. The comparison between instruments and devices is great. It's a great visual of what I think is the same general concept.
Learning about Tom Bombadill was also great because 5th grade me had no idea what was going on when he read it. Great article!
Man, I’ve finally pieced together the time to reread parts 1-2 and get to this. Simply wonderful.
I’ve had an inkling (ha ha) since my last reading of the books that Tom’s inclusion in the story was somehow providential even beyond Tolkien’s understanding, but was unaware of the quote you shared from his letters which seems to bolster that idea.
Your elucidation of the character also brings to mind the way Tom’s “call-and-response dominion” echoes the beginning of the Silmarillion, Illuvatar’s (God’s) singing creation into being alongside and through his angels.
Also, the hints Tolkien gives throughout that work that even the Valar (highest angels) are not privy to the fate of men after physical death - but that their purpose in the end is to somehow join in Illuvatar’s song as his children. Tom seems like a hint as to what that may look like.
Thanks so much for taking the time to think all of this through and share it with us. Can’t wait for the final installment.
Yeah, I wasn't even consciously thinking of the Silmarillion as I was writing, but you're right. The whole call-and-response thing is really built into Tolkien's world from the start. Thanks for taking the time to read them all, Grey.
Your picture of Christ’s authority taking the most dissonant notes of creation and weaving them into His own symphony convinced me that the Silmarillion was in the back of your mind, consciously or no.
No words. You have truly accomplished something incredible with this series. My affections for Christ and his realness in my imagination are deeply stirred. So much of what you’re describing—the learning to play the instrument—I’ve rotely and technically called “sanctification” my whole life. How glorious it is that it not just be an ironing out of sin and selfishness but the acceptance of an inheritance as a son—the inheritance of a deeper magic. Amen and amen! Glory be to God.
So many thoughts, connections and resonances come out of this, and one of the big ones has revolved around the Ashes (cricket - the greatest sport ever devised by the human spirit or imagination), taking place in Australia at this very moment. I don't expect anyone here to understand this, but it just shows that God speaks to us sometimes in language that we understand.
I s'pose that folks will need to take my word on a fair bit of this; nevertheless, it makes a huge amount of sense to me. Thanks for the great work, Ross.
Another banger, as usual. It made me wonder whether you’ve listened to this amazing talk from Hans Boersma, “Why We Will Walk On Water”? There is quite a bit in conversation with it.
You are pulling so many threads into this grand weave, it’s hard to remember they were all separate before.
Instrument/device.
Mastery/genie.
What I would call the Gandalf/Saruman distinction, or Wisdom/Sophist or Love/Control.
Call-and-response vs Cause-and-effect.
Tom as plausibility structure for Frodo.
Grace’s perfection of nature rather than its destruction or collapsing of nature (death, Moses, etc.).
Bro. 😮💨
Yeah, I feel like so much of my work the last couple years ends up accidentally saying in too many words what Aquinas said in one sentence: Gratia non tollit naturam, sed perficit.
Nate, thanks for reading and synthesizing this. It’s rewarding to see someone is really seeing all the threads I’m seeing.
An erudite and wise final product
God mostly whispers to me, he does not shout (though I often wish he would!). Authority doesn’t need force.
A friend of mine was a man of Godly authority, it emanated from him. His passion was getting up early and studying his bible (even though his understanding of history, science and philosophy were amazing too). The bible was A#1 for him. He did this for decades and the authority developed. Authority was never his aim and I know he didn’t even realize he had it, but there it was. His last words to me were “I’m going to be with my king!” I didn’t fully appreciate those words at the time, but I’m getting it now.
I don’t get to read much, but this series has been unbelievably worth it. Thank you! If I ever see you in the water I owe you a set wave. 😉
Man, this is such a beautiful picture of what I'm talking about. Thanks for sharing. I'm glad if all my series did was make you a little more grateful for men like that. You surf?! Where's your home break? Since you owe me a set wave, I'm going to have to come there and collect. Haha
Yeah, my buddy was such a gem. There’s always a void when we lose loved ones, but with his passing there was/is this huge void that’s still so massive. Maybe that’s just the natural result of a loss of or lack of authority, right?
Been surfing for probably 45 years now. I found you by one of Brett Barley’s postings funnily enough, but don’t remember specifics. I surf primarily in southern NJ when time allows… and it doesn’t allow enough! I thought retiring would fix that, but it hasn’t! 😏
Thank you for your writings and being faithful to God’s call. I’m in a season of slowing down so I’m going to try and read here more consistently.
As I read this ( excellent) post, CS Lewis’s “deeper magic” came to mind, maybe it would be something like: good power (magic), bad power (dark magic), and this call-and-response/mastery/authoritative faith (deeper magic). I want to know what this means for a faithful head (father/husband) to live this out, would love to hear from you about this. It seems to me the only cure for chaos in the world, is order in the home, and I believe that all starts with the husband and father. I would love to hear you talk about the work you’re doing here in that context sometime.
Thanks Jeff! I think your comparison to Lewis’s deeper magic is right on. That’s exactly the sort of thing I’m getting at. And yes, I also think one of the central places to begin practicing what I’m talking about is in the home. I wrote about my own marriage and how this dynamic plays out in “Partnership Over Compromise” here: https://open.substack.com/pub/rossbyrd/p/partnership-over-compromise?r=c2xi0&utm_medium=ios
Also you can see a few more of my thoughts in this piece: “Wives Submit?” https://open.substack.com/pub/rossbyrd/p/wives-submit?r=c2xi0&utm_medium=ios
Look forward to checking all this out. As I read this part 3, I was curious if you’ve read “In the house of Tom Bombadil” by CR Wiley. All about Tom Bombadil and true dominion. Really really good. Wiley makes a comment about Bombadil that I think was really profound, that Tom - being perfectly in tune with nature - shows us what masculine authority looks like as God restores us to our nature.
Oh that’s great. No I haven’t even heard of it, but glad to know such a book exists!
That annoying Ross Byrd at it again, doing outstanding work on Substack. ;)
Ha, thanks as always brother.
This is a good read.
However:
‘Today’s technologists have more in common with yesterday’s alchemists than they might care to acknowledge’.
Yesterday’s alchemists were more honest than today’s technologists, because they sought the truth rather than claiming to know it…
A sobering thought.
Well said. And yes, a sobering thought indeed.
I'm reminded of Lewis's statement in The Abolition of Man - I'm going from memory here, so excuse any inaccuracy - that the high-water mark of magic in Europe happened after (or with), not before, the scientific revolution. The ideal 'creation' of the demons was a combination of scientist and wizard. The parallels with today hardly require ferreting out.
Exactly. Very cool you had that part of Abolition of Man come to mind, because I will likely be beginning my fourth installment of this series with a long quote from exactly that section of Lewis's essay.
You've given us much to consider here, Ross. I have never quite known what to do with Tom Bombadil. His presence makes the life-and-death matter of destroying the ring seem somehow insignificant, which of course it isn't, and if the company took on this attitude, Sauron would win (for good men would do nothing, as Burke says) and yet maybe brushing against this attitude (this reality of something greater than the ring) is what allowed Frodo to resist for so long. I never considered Frodo singing Tom's song as somehow protective, or something that he carried with him when he left Tom's presence. I need to think about this more. Logically, I should just reread the entire series and then get back to you in a couple weeks. Ha! I have noticed certain camps of charismatics acting like they are saying incantations, and yet many other camps treat their words as irrelevant. Our words do have power, but only because God has made us in his image and granted that our words join his. Hopefully it doesn't come across like I'm infantilizing your arguments when in fact I'm trying to appropriate them into my everyday thinking. Sometimes when I sit and type out an essay's points, agreeing with them and sorting them out, it sounds like I'm either stating the obvious or arguing with the conclusion, when in fact I'm just trying to grab hold of the key points. Thank you for another thought provoking read!
Abigail, what a great comment. I do exactly the same thing. I like to talk/write out what I’m thinking about. I’m tracking with you all the way. So glad this helped to bring up those thoughts.
Tis truth. You know it because it has within it the ability to change the hearts and minds of men. " and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
This was so good. Thanks for writing it.
Thank you, Sam.
Wow! I was finally able to give this article the time for a thorough read and “wow” is all I can say!
Thanks Andrew. So glad you liked it!
Another thought that comes up after letting this marinate is the usefulness of sport mastery alongside the instrument as metaphor. Like the tortoise/hare example, there is no shortcut to achieving true excellence/mastery in a sport & gaining the necessary extent of dominion/authority over your own body and the instruments of the sport, whether they be ball, racquet, or surfboard. You must grow a genuine relationship with these to become a master, and that takes considerable time and a certain humility.
I can only really speak for tennis, but the player most revered in our sport’s history is Roger Federer, and an analogy/nickname very often used to describe his play was “maestro” because it seemed the ball and even his opponent were at his disposal to command and conduct. Novak Djokovic is objectively more accomplished, but Federer still receives greater praise - and I’ve always been convinced it is because his play is true play, which is to say it is art in motion, or maybe in your words here it is some very distant echo of true dominion.
Grey! I somehow completely overlooked this epic comment. My apologies. This is the perfect image of what I'm talking about. I literally used this example of Federer vs. Djokovic with my dad over the holidays. Crazy you thought of the same. Yes, a distant echo of true dominion. In my final piece, I'm thinking of using a similar image (but of surfing) as another echo of the same idea of mastery. So glad you brought this up.
Haha that’s great we were on the same wavelength. Looking forward to your final installment. Also, just sent you an email with an idea.
Dang this topic very eloquently covered something I have been pondering a lot recently. I've been thinking in my head how much damage has been done in our society because people want to cheat the system. People are so obsessed with hacking things and cheating well known processes that they end up hurting themselves and those around them. The comparison between instruments and devices is great. It's a great visual of what I think is the same general concept.
Learning about Tom Bombadill was also great because 5th grade me had no idea what was going on when he read it. Great article!
Thanks Mike. Glad it was helpful to you. My son is in 6th grade now, and read about Tom for the first time yesterday. Pretty cool.
Awesome!
Thank you, Mike!
Man, I’ve finally pieced together the time to reread parts 1-2 and get to this. Simply wonderful.
I’ve had an inkling (ha ha) since my last reading of the books that Tom’s inclusion in the story was somehow providential even beyond Tolkien’s understanding, but was unaware of the quote you shared from his letters which seems to bolster that idea.
Your elucidation of the character also brings to mind the way Tom’s “call-and-response dominion” echoes the beginning of the Silmarillion, Illuvatar’s (God’s) singing creation into being alongside and through his angels.
Also, the hints Tolkien gives throughout that work that even the Valar (highest angels) are not privy to the fate of men after physical death - but that their purpose in the end is to somehow join in Illuvatar’s song as his children. Tom seems like a hint as to what that may look like.
Thanks so much for taking the time to think all of this through and share it with us. Can’t wait for the final installment.
Yeah, I wasn't even consciously thinking of the Silmarillion as I was writing, but you're right. The whole call-and-response thing is really built into Tolkien's world from the start. Thanks for taking the time to read them all, Grey.
Your picture of Christ’s authority taking the most dissonant notes of creation and weaving them into His own symphony convinced me that the Silmarillion was in the back of your mind, consciously or no.
You're probably right! Unconsciously, at least.
(Though at the time of writing I was actually thinking of a certain lecture by Jacob Collier.)
No words. You have truly accomplished something incredible with this series. My affections for Christ and his realness in my imagination are deeply stirred. So much of what you’re describing—the learning to play the instrument—I’ve rotely and technically called “sanctification” my whole life. How glorious it is that it not just be an ironing out of sin and selfishness but the acceptance of an inheritance as a son—the inheritance of a deeper magic. Amen and amen! Glory be to God.
Glory to God, indeed. Thank you, Stephen. Glad it’s been helpful. It’s comments like these that really encourage me to keep writing.
So many thoughts, connections and resonances come out of this, and one of the big ones has revolved around the Ashes (cricket - the greatest sport ever devised by the human spirit or imagination), taking place in Australia at this very moment. I don't expect anyone here to understand this, but it just shows that God speaks to us sometimes in language that we understand.
I s'pose that folks will need to take my word on a fair bit of this; nevertheless, it makes a huge amount of sense to me. Thanks for the great work, Ross.
Sounds thrilling. I wish I knew more about cricket than I do! Thanks for reading, John.
Another banger, as usual. It made me wonder whether you’ve listened to this amazing talk from Hans Boersma, “Why We Will Walk On Water”? There is quite a bit in conversation with it.
https://open.substack.com/pub/hboersma/p/miracles-why-we-will-walk-on-water?r=25e74o&utm_medium=ios
No I haven’t. I’m not sure I know Hans Boersma, but I LOVE the title. I’m going to listen to this today.
Well, I’m excited to be the one to introduce you to Hans Boersma. You’re going to love this talk!
I listened to it, and it was fantastic. He brought a different (but very complementary) angle to the same subject. Thanks so much for the intro.
So glad to hear it, Ross! I’ve been making my through his book Heavenly Participation with a study group.