After Bilbo’s party, the wizard Gandalf knocked on Frodo’s door, introducing him to a world of pain, fear, misery, and adventure. The adventure ended well, yet at great cost. With the inheritance of the ring, Frodo had stumbled into something far, far larger and deeper and wonderful and terrifying than he had ever expected.
In Red Wool, we meet a cursed minotaur called Horatio. His journey began with a knock at the door as well. Only it wasn’t a wizard - or probably wasn’t - but something else. Whoever or whatever it was, they introduced him to a world of pain, fear, misery, and adventure. It remains to be seen how it all ends for him.
Life can be like this as well. Many times the opportunity that knocks leads to adventure, which sometimes involves - to varying degrees - pain, fear, and misery. Perhaps drudgery. Hopefully it still ends well; sometimes it does not. Sometimes one adventure leads to another and another and then that adventure ends well. Though in life - both like and unlike in stories - sometimes it’s not very clear what “ending well” even means. Sometimes one’s expectations are adjusted. Sometimes they must be adjusted.
Even Christ himself is quoted as saying, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with me” (Rev. 3:20). That sounds rather warm and lovely, and yet it too is a call to adventure. For he continues, “He who overcomes, I will give to him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father on his throne” (Rev. 3:21).
Note the “overcomes” part. It is inconvenient. What must be overcome? Well, what did Christ overcome? He overcame pain, fear, misery, and even death amidst a great cosmic struggle against evil and doom. Now that is an adventure. So his knock at the door is not merely an invitation to have a friendly meal but also an invitation to something more. Something deeper and grander. Something strangely mysterious. Something, perhaps, formidable.
And it all begins with a knock at the door.
Of course, one cannot simply ignore just any knock without risk. In fact, Frodo did ignore the knock at first, but then Gandalf’s face appeared in the window. And had Frodo ignored even that, eventually a far crueler, far more twisted visage would have appeared at his door.
The knock demands decision.
Perhaps someone reading this just heard a knock at their door. Perhaps you are that someone. Perhaps you should go see who it is.
And if you did not hear a knock at your door just now, I invite you to consider this my knock at your digital door. I cannot say what, precisely, comes next - though I think both of us have an inkling that it is unlikely to involve tossing rings into volcanoes - but why don’t you find out by opening the door to your inbox?
…or not. This decision, fortunately, involves no risk. Ringwraiths are probably not on the hunt for your email address. And if they are, subscribing will be of little help. You should probably find the nearest Istari, though not the one in Isengard. I hear he’s up to something.