Observations on Gollum and Summer Camp

When I return from a trip, I go into major "crash mode." What I mean is that I take a lot of time to do a lot of nothing.

One of my favorite practices during this time is movie watching. Yesterday, I watched The Two Towers. Anyone who slightly knows me, knows I am a huge Lord of the Rings fan. My dad read me the books when I was a child, I re-read them as a child, and I was at the theater every Thursday of opening weekend (couldn't be there on Wednesday because of youth group.)

I was extremely impressed with how well Peter Jackson stayed true to Tolkien's original work.

One area he strayed somewhat in was the development of the character Gollum. Jackson took time to really create a split-personality between Smeagol and Gollum... even to the point where the two talked to each other, back and forth.

I really appreciated this slight alteration in the story line. It may be that Andy Serkis did such a phenomenal job at creating these two people battling each other inside the same body.

The classic scene is in The Two Towers, when Smeagol begins to push out, and understand that Gollum is ruining him. The scene climaxes as Smeagol begins to recite over and over to his evil alter-ego,
"Leave us, and never come back."
"Leave us, and never come back."
"LEAVE US, AND NEVER COME BACK."

Peace and freedom follow. Smeagol is back. Gollum is gone. He is jumping around. The greenish, gangly, ugly creature almost becomes adorable. At least for a while. Unfortunately it doesn't last. Smeagol feels as though he is betrayed by Frodo. He gets hurt. In his hurt, rather than continuing on in his newfound freedom and seeking to navigate the tough times, he turns back to Gollum for guidance. All that was gained was lost.

I've seen this exact story unfold many times in the lives of students when it comes to trips and retreats like IMPACT, merge, Summer Camp, etc. There is a significant moment at the trip where a student has that encounter with God which forces him/her to face that conflict inside themselves, and say to it, "Leave us, and never come back." It's looks like it's gone, but when the first sign of struggle or trial comes, the student returns to the old ways.

Ah, but there is something more at work in us than in Gollum. We are not alone. As the tough times comes, what an incredible opportunity to submit to the Lordship of Christ, and seek victory and freedom that can only be found through the Holy Spirit.