“PIPPIN: I didn’t think it would end this way.
GANDALF: End? No, the journey doesn’t end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass, and then you see it.
PIPPIN: What? Gandalf? See what?
GANDALF: White shores, and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise.
PIPPIN: Well, that isn’t so bad.
GANDALF: No. No, it isn’t.” (J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings)
Thinking about the musings from DAY 9: Someone Upstairs Runs The Show – Part 2…
I would submit to you that a good question to ask yourself is this:
Why, over the approximately last 10,000 years of human history, have humans been creating architectural wonders that reach for the sky, and not towards the center of the Earth?
I would think that some basic logic would be needed in order to answer this question.
Logically speaking, regardless of chronology, geography and/or belief system, what have humans historically done when they needed some: courage, guidance, strength and/or wisdom?
Humans have historically looked up…
Not down.
If you agree with this, then the next issue to grapple with would most likely be this:
Who, (or what), exactly, is this someone, (thing, etc.), that humans throughout recorded history, are looking up to, (not down), for their: courage, guidance, strength and/or wisdom?
Great question.
In fact, this is a question that I address with my students the second week of class. It is usually about this time that I bring up a concept that I refer to as:
The ‘The Big 7 Belief Systems’.
These belief systems were at the time, (before the redesign of the course), what CollegeBoard felt were the most important belief systems for students to learn in the course. These belief systems were covered during the Foundations, (8,000 BCE – 600 CE), and Classical, (600 BCE – 600 CE), units, or units 1 and 2, of AP World History:
So what are ‘The Big 7 Belief Systems’?
Polytheism/Animism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism and Christianity. Islam is not mentioned at this point officially due to the fact chronologically, it appears in the 7th century, which is for the course, covered in unit 3 or the Post-Classical unit, (600 CE – 1450 CE).
It is at this point when introducing these belief systems that I show a quick clip from the Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King, to help set the stage for my ‘The Big 7 Belief Systems’ lecture. The scene is under a minute and half. To put this scene in perspective, here is data when researching the following times of the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy:
What is the combined length of the Lord of the Rings Extended Editions?
Answer:
The Fellowship of the Ring: 178 minutes theatrical, 208 minutes extended (228 with additional credits)
The Two Towers: 179 minutes theatrical, 223 minutes extended (235 with additional credits)
The Return of the King: 200 minutes theatrical, 251 minutes (263 with additional credits)
Grand Totals:
Theatrical edition: 557 minutes or 9.2 hours
Extended edition: 682 minutes or 11.4 hours
Extended edition with credits: 726 minutes or 12.1 hours.
So why exactly am I bringing all of this information up regarding how extremely long these 3 movies are?
I would submit to you this 1 minute, 22 second scene is the most perhaps the most impactful scene in the entire trilogy that is happening on Middle Earth. Seemingly, it appears that this scene impacts every human who watches the scene here on planet Earth. (Gandalf and Pippin are in Middle Earth).
The scene that I am referring to can be found here:
After showing this scene, I transition from the Lord Of The Rings…to Star Wars.
Eventually, when I begin discussing the DBQ essay, (Document Based Question), I will show the opening crawl, containing 3 body paragraphs, that begin all 9 Star Wars movie. Although the Who, Where and When of the 3 body paragraphs may be different as the movies change, what doesn’t change is the opening sentence in that static blue text:
“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….”
So…what exactly is the point of all of this?
Why am I showing a scene from the Lord of the Rings?
Why am I showing the opening crawl in Star Wars?
Consider the following:
Whether you are a wizard and a Hobbit on Middle Earth, or a couple of Jedi in a galaxy far, far away…
Whether it is referred to as a: “grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass…White shores, and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise.”…
Or known simple as the ‘Force’…
What we all have in common in Middle Earth, a galaxy far, far away, and here on planet Earth, is the idea that:
Someone Upstairs Runs The Show.
And no matter where we are: Middle Earth, a galaxy far, far away, or here on planet Earth…
We all long to be there…to get there…and most importantly…
To stay there.
Upstairs.
So if we can agree that Someone Upstairs Runs The Show, is it actually possible to find this Someone?
I would submit to you that it might be easier than you think.
Do not feel discouraged if you do not see the connection with the connection between the Middle Earth, a galaxy far, far away, and you. Do not feel discouraged if you feel that you sometimes have no idea which of these worlds you feel like you are in depending on the day. Instead, embrace the idea that no matter what universe, galaxy or planet you are in, we are all thinking the same thought, Someone Upstairs Runs The Show. Embrace the idea that the answer to the ‘Someone’ is not only possible to learn, but sometime in the future, you will be comfortable enough to teach others who this ‘Someone’ is.
23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. (Acts 17:23 KJV)
Was today’s blog a little confusing at times? Was the content perhaps a little overwhelming? Did you feel lost not understanding some or most of the subject matter?
Those feelings are totally understandable and it is ok to have one or more of those feelings. Remember that you are reading Day 10: OK…So Who Is This Someone?
If you haven’t been in class since the first day of school…or when the project began…or when the contract was first signed, etc., these feelings make perfect and logistical sense.
Please feel free to go back to where all of this began: