Beowulf

This is a short bit from the old poem Beowulf:

Leading up to the action in this selection, we are told of Beowulf, price of the Geats, and his journey to the lair of Grendel and Grendel's mother, monsters that have long terrorized the Danish king Hrothgar and his people. Once at the lair, Beowulf enters and fights Grendel's mother with Hrunting, a sword given to him by the Danish warrior Unferth. The sword fails to injure the monster, and Beowulf is almost killed. However, Beowulf finds an old sword in the lair and slays Grendel's mother by cutting off her head. He then cuts of the head of Grendel, who is also n the lair. The blood of the monsters melts the blade so that only the hilt remains. With this and the head of Grendel, Beowulf returns to Herot, the king's banquet hall, to tell Hrothgar of his victory...

The Celebration at Herot

Beowulf spoke:

"Hrothgar! Behold,

Great Healfdane's son, this glorious sign,

Of victory brought you by joyful Geats.

My life was almost lost, fighting for it,

Struggling under water: I'd have been dead at once,

And the fight finished, the she-devil victorious,

If our Father in Heaven had not helped me. Hrunting,

Unferth's noble weapon, could do nothing,

Nor could I, until the Ruler of the world

Showed me, hanging shining and beautiful

On a wall, a mighty old sword--so God

Gives guidance to those who can find it from no one else..."

Here, Beowulf is giving God obviously-deserved credit for helping him kill Grendel's mother. It would seem many of us fail to do that. In the Mighty Hrothgar's reply to Beowulf's triumph, he reminds Beowulf just that:

"...Our eternal Lord

Grants some men wisdom, some wealth, makes others

Great. The world is God's, He allows

A man to grow famous, and his family rich.

Gives him land and towns to rule

And delight in, lets his kingdom reach

As far as the world runs--and who

In human unwisdom, in the middle of such power,

Remembers that it all will end, and too soon?

Prosperity, prosperity, prosperity: nothing

Troubles him, no sickness, not passing time,

No sorrows, no sudden war breaking

Out of nowhere, but all the world turns

When he spins it. How can he know when he sins?

And then pride grows in his heart, planted

Quietly but flourishing. And while the keeper of his soul

Sleeps on, while conscience rest and the world

Turns faster, a murderer creeps closer, comes carrying

A tight-strung bow with terrible arrows.

And those sharp points strike home, are shot

In his breast, under his helmet. He's helpless.

And so the Devil's dark urgings wound him, for he can't

Remember how he clung to the rotting wealth

Of this world, how he clawed to keep it, how he earned

No honor, no glory, in giving golden

Rings, how he forgot the future glory

God gave him at his birth, and forgetting did not care.

And finally his body fails him, these bones

And flesh quickened by God fall and die-- and some other soul

Inherits his place in heaven, some open handed

Giver of old treasurers, who takes no delight

In mere gold. Guard against such wickedness,

Beloved Beowulf, best of warriors,

And choose, instead, eternal happiness;

Push away pride! Your strength, your power,

Are yours for how many years? Soon

You'll return them where they came from,

sickness or a sword's edge will end them,

Or a grasping fire, or the flight of a spear,

Or surging waves, or a knife's bite,

Or the terror of old age, or your eyes darkening over.

It will come, death comes faster than you think, no one can flee it..."

Here, Hrothgar is pleading Beowulf to choose character over coins and righteousness over riches. The Bible says the same thing:

• Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (Luke 12:15)

• A man is destined to die once, and after that face judgement. (Hebrews 9:27)

• "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- This is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any long to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- his good, pleasing, and perfect will." (Romans 12:1)

• "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." (Matthew 6:24)

I find it intriguing how you can take something like Beowulf and apply biblical truths to it! Go ahead and try it sometime.