Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Reflection - Number Our Days - Fool's Gold

Source (book): "Teach Us to Number Our Days", Chapter 46, "Fool's Gold", Page 212.
By David Roper, Pastor, and regular and popular writer for Our Daily Bread.


All that is gold does not glitter.
PHOTO: All that is gold does not glitter.
- J. R. R. Tolkien

There was a television show many years ago about an invisible man. He could go anywhere and do anything and no one knew he was there. I have become that man.

I go to check-out counters and perky young clerks look right through me, unaware that a human being stands before them. I sit in discussions with bright young theologians and no one acknowledges my presence or asks if I have an opinion. It's good to remember, on those occasions, J. R. R. Tolkien's wise proverb: "All that is gold does not glitter."

Back in the 1860s a prospector named Captain Tom Morgan filed a claim on a hard-to-find drainage in the mountains northeast of Boise, Idaho, and rode into town claiming he had discovered over ＄50,000 worth of gold. After a legendary spending spree, his "gold" was discovered to be chemically enhanced from pyrite - also known as "fool's gold."

Captain Morgan was never caught, nor was he ever seen again, but his skulduggery (swindling) is memorialized in the name the site bears to this day, Bogus Basin, and proves again that William Shakespeare was right: "All that glitters is not gold."

Most of us, at one time or another, have been fooled by those who shimmer and shine, but whose hearts are dark and deceitful. We're learned that outward beauty can be a façade (false appearance), an affectation that conceals evil, self-serving motives. Be wary of those who look too good to be true, for too often they are.

Tolkien, however, turns the proverb upside down and finds an equal and opposite truth: "All that is golds does not glitter." In other words, as ugliness can be cloaked in beauty, so beauty can be hidden in an off-putting presence.

Early in the story of The Lord of the Rings, the hobbit Frodo and his halfling friends have arrived at the village of Bree and have taken a room at the inn of The Prancing Pony. Riders had come from the south the day before - strange, suspicious-looking men who are also lodged at the inn. But the strangest of all is a tall dark man who sits in a shadowy corner, wrapped in a cloak with a hood that hides his face.

He is a Ranger, the innkeeper Mr. Butterbur says, a solitary wanderer who comes and goes at will and whose business is shrouded in mystery. His presence is grim and forbidding.

Then Butterbur remembers that three months earlier the wizard Gandalf had left a letter with him that he was supposed to deliver to Mr. Frodo Baggins. In the letter Gandalf writes: "You may meet a friend of mine on the Road: a Man, lean, dark, tall, by some called Strider. He knows our business and will help you."

In a postscript to the letter, Gandalf offers this warning, information, and prophecy:
All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken;
The crownless again shall be king.

Who could have guessed that the dark rider is, in fact, Aragorn, son of Arathorn, a "crownless" king, an ancient warrior with deep wisdom who will become a fast friend, faithful guide, and guardian to Frodo and his friends - which, of course, is Tolkien's point: an unappealing presence can conceal a heart of gold. We're fools not to know it.

The media and other elements of our culture have taught folks to court the buff (attractive or well-toned), the best-dressed, and the beautiful and attribute worth to them. The dull, the dowdy, the homely (unattractive), the elderly are discounted.

But wisdom teaches otherwise: "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7) Wisdom leads us to go beyond appearance and look within our souls for virtue and the beauty of holiness, for authentic worth lies just there.

Remember the Lord: "He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised . . . and we esteemed him not." (Isaiah 53:2-3) Yet his heart was pure gold.

Our lord is building into us pure gold, silver, and precious stones, and what matters in the end is not what has happened to the outer person, but what's going on inside. We may be nothing much to look at - no glitter or glamour - but our souls can shimmer and shine. On that basis, and that basis alone, we must assign value to ourselves.

But then, having written all that, I have to ask myself, "On what basis do I evaluate others? What kind of fool am I?" (Psalm 101:6-7)
Picture posted by Fool's Gold Fanart
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh09adOYjZSOiD990iNC-MLv53hZ2u1zac9CkbE_nUNoGLj1G642BvbZR9-f79YKB9Jg8AT7cLz0CNjoTXgTgzSCXWemOa1vH4vSQzYNgb0apoB-cDdThjvJIpxvDKh_UW8ohMmdeUJDJm72txON8ESo2A4x6J7cJwgDIXVE1TKZQsY05ceeS9f7aH9=s1426
https://images.fanart.tv/fanart/fools-gold-527e482c334c7.jpg
https://fanart.tv/movie/8676/fools-gold/


All that is gold does not glitter.
- J. R. R. Tolkien

There was a television show many years ago about an invisible man. He could go anywhere and do anything and no one knew he was there. I have become that man.


Invisible man
PHOTO: Invisible man
Picture posted by Nilanthan Niruthan, Columbiaon 28 July 2020
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgX9upGtDMld72HatHzQQnUx3DHWs9pe2wVaqe1o34xQqZLBxIoeZ_LD3Xg8cX23eC_s_9aADHUzLEeRYhqx1RzcOYGBFr36P8MHjB_-lQefWr2o8SjEzBrH4fqdM2LnvzYvh0HTFyNlls2qFFgo0qFh8rhTgf6J0axZN9GTnHbM95Ywoo0pjNVtE4z=s1532
https://jia.sipa.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/field/image/invisible-man.jpg
https://jia.sipa.columbia.edu/online-articles/invisibility-cloaks-and-their-potential-impact-global-security


I go to check-out counters and perky young clerks look right through me, unaware that a human being stands before them. I sit in discussions with bright young theologians and no one acknowledges my presence or asks if I have an opinion. It's good to remember, on those occasions, J. R. R. Tolkien's wise proverb: "All that is gold does not glitter."


I go to check-out counters and perky young clerks look right through me, unaware that a human being stands before them.
PHOTO: I go to check-out counters and perky young clerks look right through me, unaware that a human being stands before them. I sit in discussions with bright young theologians and no one acknowledges my presence or asks if I have an opinion. It's good to remember, on those occasions, J. R. R. Tolkien's wise proverb: "All that is gold does not glitter."
Picture posted by Michał Siergiejevicz, Stockpholio
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjkGrPfaoCZRtyv86rdwG4F_kCrl8cFSka14qCkPXwgqQayKDzmuMx9nD7RsR1pWbrTsCUJRYe3seXmbFycqnpA20d9MdFsK78nrABZNr38V5Mvq3hJUl6B1gM1MUS1E513bbqbt-fQnw8w6liWfAayUjq7tVWJ79niSpZY0sgHjKZFIp-IUCAi56LI=s5333
http://www.stockpholio.net/index/view/image/50871821071_12.jpg
http://www.stockpholio.net/view/image/id/50871821071#!Loneliness+in+the+crowd


Back in the 1860s a prospector named Captain Tom Morgan filed a claim on a hard-to-find drainage in the mountains northeast of Boise, Idaho, and rode into town claiming he had discovered over ＄50,000 worth of gold. After a legendary spending spree, his "gold" was discovered to be chemically enhanced from pyrite - also known as "fool's gold."

Captain Morgan was never caught, nor was he ever seen again, but his skulduggery (swindling) is memorialized in the name the site bears to this day, Bogus Basin, and proves again that William Shakespeare was right: "All that glitters is not gold."


All that glitters is not gold.
PHOTO: "All that glitters is not gold." - William Shakespeare
The "gold" was discovered to be chemically enhanced from pyrite - also known as "fool's gold."
Picture posted by Amazing Geologist on 10 March 2019 - A nicely balanced combination of pyrite and galena from Huanzala Mine, Dos de Mayo Province, Peru
https://scontent.fsin9-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/53688833_2157348517691809_4883227289833177088_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=CllWzfwDStUAX-OW5qq&_nc_ht=scontent.fsin9-1.fna&oh=00_AT9MRFAgTkb1C4yUYLxiYJeyTEELOOG2gt2Fa1ZGAeToeA&oe=61DF270A
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1cZjpK7TmchuewVf2btUatU-d6rFAChbim3ll4VRKd0WCOpQVLig06d_XV_19EZ9dKL_BWHjbXGpvj4K3UecnWH9seA9wqCZT9GFYI7sK8bWz5F4-sbGUGZUyFJnjeyLIZWkj4Mj_UqSo0suG0uVCedBiGriKCPcVaFuWK_R7n2to4UQbIkQs1N0t=s960
https://www.facebook.com/AmazingGeologist/photos/a.398226493604029/2157348514358476
https://ar.pinterest.com/pin/AR4NVmdvTTvtYQnUOPOUS-1LHusl4jRbDoit0flWBmt0JUe4dN336I8/


Most of us, at one time or another, have been fooled by those who shimmer and shine, but whose hearts are dark and deceitful. We're learned that outward beauty can be a façade (false appearance), an affectation that conceals evil, self-serving motives. Be wary of those who look too good to be true, for too often they are.

Tolkien, however, turns the proverb upside down and finds an equal and opposite truth: "All that is golds does not glitter." In other words, as ugliness can be cloaked in beauty, so beauty can be hidden in an off-putting presence.


All that is golds does not glitter.
PHOTO: "All that is golds does not glitter." In other words, as ugliness can be cloaked in beauty, so beauty can be hidden in an off-putting presence.
Picture posted by zaalim Girl
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjha4Xm6O7zxphi8ONE8Y3FVAvzTTCcmbjEI3LHV6pD6U1RzFgMjIQ2InKK0ve__A7_U28OTzAzbEbl2jbZP6kLI96x2uAVe5x64hKiuTRm8B08FAJweb86nIgBAXiEtQDvq660cOcnpp0uK0dpRTBZgUr-tQOBRiHxB1YS8lKBJcBCK2UT6_3PiU0J=s1080
https://sharechat.com/post/QqgqGXb


Early in the story of The Lord of the Rings, the hobbit Frodo and his halfling friends have arrived at the village of Bree and have taken a room at the inn of The Prancing Pony. Riders had come from the south the day before - strange, suspicious-looking men who are also lodged at the inn. But the strangest of all is a tall dark man who sits in a shadowy corner, wrapped in a cloak with a hood that hides his face.

He is a Ranger, the innkeeper Mr. Butterbur says, a solitary wanderer who comes and goes at will and whose business is shrouded in mystery. His presence is grim and forbidding.


In the story of The Lord of the Rings strange, suspicious-looking men are also lodged at the inn.
PHOTO: In the story of The Lord of the Rings strange, suspicious-looking men are also lodged at the inn. But the strangest of all is a tall dark man who sits in a shadowy corner, wrapped in a cloak with a hood that hides his face. He is a solitary wanderer who comes and goes at will and whose business is shrouded in mystery. His presence is grim and forbidding.
Picture posted by Stephencwinter on 14 May 2021 - The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R Tolkien
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdLdXJ6AgDpYNzYovunnM1apflTC88J-QDq4KfuirIWl4D-YFfyAuVrK6r9jv49yizNpLcY8nxLO8sPDx11ZHRSHQqOTXkWhGRX1F7UrhJxheZOP8OomXrnMloTFFtn0dUGOrnHdD9QU8P3xt34LEi46j6eFnnD66jhZLi18u0VUNllki9S6Qko1Tr=s840
https://stephencwinter.files.wordpress.com/2020/10/ugtsslbqaal11.jpg
https://stephencwinter.com/2021/05/14/all-that-is-gold-does-not-glitter-aragorns-journey-towards-his-crown/


Then Butterbur remembers that three months earlier the wizard Gandalf had left a letter with him that he was supposed to deliver to Mr. Frodo Baggins. In the letter Gandalf writes: "You may meet a friend of mine on the Road: a Man, lean, dark, tall, by some called Strider. He knows our business and will help you."

In a postscript to the letter, Gandalf offers this warning, information, and prophecy:
All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken;
The crownless again shall be king. [241]


All that is gold does not glitter
PHOTO: All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken; The crownless again shall be king.
Picture posted by The Keep Calm-o-Matic
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-JjEViHUGShqrLNRgMyMcvKwROwWvMaBlMYrKeDbWDbB0DzdOsCM2ZW-LDftXrJoBF6gB3tkKYoVJ5QQgfuvOiMoROIymu8x2fo7swRkyf01NnLdt3bwPXK41eHYo7WtTg3DXgquQSrwFdh7bwdfbdnK4WZtC10XalRJUa-VBHJ-o-dbAEkeX4uYa=s1200
https://sd.keepcalms.com/i-w600/all-that-is-gold-does-not-glitter-not-all-those-who-wander-are-lost-the-old-that-is-strong-does-not-wither-deep-roots-are-not-reached-by-the-frost-from-the-ashes-a.jpg
https://images.saymedia-content.com/.image/t_share/MTc0NTAwNzI4NTEyNTIxODYy/conflict-free-jewelry.png
https://keepcalms.com/p/all-that-is-gold-does-not-glitter-not-all-those-who-wander-are-lost-the-old-that-is-strong-does-not-wither-deep-roots-are-not-reached-by-the-frost-from-the-ashes-a/


Who could have guessed that the dark rider is, in fact, Aragorn, son of Arathorn, a "crownless" king, an ancient warrior with deep wisdom who will become a fast friend, faithful guide, and guardian to Frodo and his friends - which, of course, is Tolkien's point: an unappealing presence can conceal a heart of gold. We're fools not to know it.

The media and other elements of our culture have taught folks to court the buff (attractive or well-toned), the best-dressed, and the beautiful and attribute worth to them. The dull, the dowdy, the homely (unattractive), the elderly are discounted.


The media and other elements of our culture have taught folks to court the buff (attractive or well-toned), the best-dressed, and the beautiful and attribute worth to them.
PHOTO: The media and other elements of our culture have taught folks to court the buff (attractive or well-toned), the best-dressed, and the beautiful and attribute worth to them. The dull, the dowdy, the homely (unattractive), the elderly are discounted.
Picture posted by Para Niños
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVeAeoTYVGW1FvIcgG8XaNBS0jHpavrzQBgSJKPnNfDe_b_tEZgc_OtVezN8tsg_iuqiql6Gk8h0i-j8d9tiIHib-Yndbb_nwfC7bhvzfp2tWhEJPHecFxlU3cWbhv4vTVPvTUEjz5kzVsO4pk0-JOQ_GC6acvq53IO_ZN-syjc6S-niZZfRmnZtFR=s900
https://paraninos.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/20160106-8968-1wb8loh.jpg
https://paraninos.org/cuentos-infantiles-cortos/cuentos-clasicos/el-patito-feo/


But wisdom teaches otherwise: "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7) [242] Wisdom leads us to go beyond appearance and look within our souls for virtue and the beauty of holiness, for authentic worth lies just there.

Remember the Lord: "He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised . . . and we esteemed him not." (Isaiah 53:2-3) [243] Yet his heart was pure gold.


But isdom teaches otherwise
PHOTO: But wisdom teaches otherwise: "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7) Wisdom leads us to go beyond appearance and look within our souls for virtue and the beauty of holiness, for authentic worth lies just there.
Picture posted by YellowPlace
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgso_xzSibyJUJ_URtDlHNoHNvRXryZjQVOoQ5e7B6N1EKgYi8p7y1I6mckgWJexbJU3PmgpyYz50BSYcgBoBRVvqWSSAdMNP24dBSJn-ZLaIxnVFrEd-TWfmJp3b8hQPf3_jtnzdkqw9lVHCANA5DtM41f7yNpGL_qY9umhykkkVKnVowIOqD0DF5i=s720
https://yellow.place/file/image/cover/0/0/252/mtrkbxategdwxxqr.jpg
https://yellow.place/es/the-ugly-duckling-cafe-shaftesbury-britain


Our lord is building into us pure gold, silver, and precious stones, and what matters in the end is not what has happened to the outer person, but what's going on inside. We may be nothing much to look at - no glitter or glamour - but our souls can shimmer and shine. On that basis, and that basis alone, we must assign value to ourselves.

But then, having written all that, I have to ask myself, "On what basis do I evaluate others? What kind of fool am I?" (Psalm 101:6-7) [244]


Our lord is building into us pure gold, silver, and precious stones, and what matters in the end is not what has happened to the outer person, but what's going on inside.
PHOTO: Our lord is building into us pure gold, silver, and precious stones, and what matters in the end is not what has happened to the outer person, but what's going on inside. We may be nothing much to look at - no glitter or glamour - but our souls can shimmer and shine. On that basis, and that basis alone, we must assign value to ourselves.
Picture posted by The Swan (TV series) on 22 November 2021
PHOTO: "Dear Lord, we learn that in certain occasion, it is good to remember J. R. R. Tolkien's wise proverb: ‘All that is gold does not glitter.’ Especially so, when we became invisible with people looking right through us, unaware that a human being stands before them.

The story of the legendary Captain Morgan whose skulduggery proves that ‘All that glitters is not gold.’ Most of us, at one time or another, have been fooled by those who shimmer and shine, but whose hearts are dark and deceitful. We're learned that outward beauty can be a façade, an affectation that conceals evil, self-serving motives.  Lord, help us to be wary of those who look too good to be true, for too often they are.

Help us too, to remember the proverb ‘All that is golds does not glitter.’ Because as ugliness can be cloaked in beauty, so beauty can be hidden in an off-putting presence. A Man, lean, dark and tall could be a warrior with deep wisdom who will become our fast friend, faithful guide, and guardian. An unappealing presence can conceal a heart of gold. We're fools not to know it.

Unfortunately, our media and other elements of our culture have taught folks to court the buff, the best-dressed, and the beautiful and attribute worth to them. The dull, the dowdy, the homely, the elderly are discounted.

Lord, help us to learn from Your wisdom. It teaches otherwise: ‘The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’ Wisdom leads us to go beyond appearance and look within our souls for virtue and the beauty of holiness, for authentic worth lies just there.

May we remember too, that the Lord, ‘had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised . . . and we esteemed him not.’ Yet his heart was pure gold.

Lord, we pray that You continue building into us pure gold, silver, and precious stones. Because what matters in the end is not what has happened to the outer person, but what's going on inside. Although we may be nothing much to look at - no glitter or glamour - but may our souls shimmer and shine. On this basis, and this basis alone, may we assign value to ourselves.

However, Lord, on what basis do we evaluate others? What kind of fool are we?

Through Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Amen!"
Painting by Ernst Klimt, and after his death, his brother Gustav Klimt completed the painting - Pan and Psyche (1892)
Picture posted by tumblr
Reflection - Number Our Days - Fool's Gold
Source (book): "Teach Us to Number Our Days", Chapter 46, "Fool's Gold", Page 212.
By David Roper, Pastor, and regular and popular writer for Our Daily Bread.


Other Books

"Faithful to the end", A Preacher's Exposition of 2 Timothy, @ 2014 by Robert M. Solomon

'Faithful to the end', A Preacher's Exposition of 2 Timothy, @ 2014 by Robert M. Solomon<br>
Reflection - Faithful to the end (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2017/06/reflection-faithful-to-end-links.html


"Finding rest for the soul" Responding to Jesus' Invitation in Matthew 11:28-29, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon

Reflection - Finding rest for the soul (Links)
Reflection - Finding rest for the soul (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2018/10/reflection-finding-rest-for-soul-links.html


"God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon

'Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART I-III, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART I-III, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-god-in-pursuit-links-part-i.html


"God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon

'Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART IV, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART IV, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-god-in-pursuit-links-part-iv.html 


"Songs of Christmas", The Stories and Significance of 20 Well-Loved Carols, © 2018 by Robert M. Solomon

Reflection - Songs of Christmas (Links), posted on Friday, 24 April 2020
Reflection - Songs of Christmas (Links), posted on Friday, 24 April 2020
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/04/reflection-songs-of-christmas-links.html
 

"Growing Old Gracefully", Following Jesus to the End, © 2019 by Robert M. Solomon

Reflection - Growing Old Gracefully, Part I - III (Links), posted on Wednesday, 09 December 2020
Reflection - Growing Old Gracefully, Part I - III (Links), posted on Wednesday, 09 December 2020
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/12/reflection-growing-old-gracefully-part.html
 

Reflection - Growing Old Gracefully, Part IV - V (Links), posted on Thursday, 22 April 2021
Reflection - Growing Old Gracefully, Part IV - V (Links), posted on Thursday, 22 April 2021
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/12/reflection-growing-old-gracefully-part_9.html
 

"Teach Us to Number Our Days", © 2008 by David Roper

Reflection - Number Our Days, Chapter 1 - 40 (Links), posted on Tuesday, 16 November 2021
Reflection - Number Our Days, Chapter 1 - 40 (Links), posted on Tuesday, 16 November 2021
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2021/11/reflection-number-our-days-chapter-1-40.html
 


Reference
[1] From "Teach Us to Number Our Days", Copyright © 2008 by David Roper, ISBN 978-981-11-7184-0, Chapter 46, "Fool's Gold", Page 212-216.

[241] J. R. R. Tolkien, "Strider" Chapter 10 in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

[242] 1 Samuel 16:7

[243] Isaiah 53:2-3

[244] Note Psalm 101:6-7 and the sort of people David befriended.


Links


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