The dragon is approaching.   You can handle this, yet something doesn’t feel quite right.  Tensing, you prepare for the onslaught.  The dragon springs forward and the fray begins.   In and out you weave, trying to find the vulnerable points while keeping yourself safe.  Suddenly an opportunity appears and you drive your sword home.  The dragon rears back in pain.   Suddenly a new, and dangerous light shines in its eyes.  It bares its teeth and venom begins to drip from its fangs.  The dragon strikes and…

You are Beowulf, and you have a dragon to defeat.  You are winning the battle from the start, but your enemy gathered the strength to counter-attack in the final moments.  Whether it strikes home or misses, the choice is up to you.  Your actions do make a difference, even if it appears that they have no effect. You could make the choice to not make a choice, but then you lose the fight, and you die.  You could choose to roll to the side and attack while your foe is recovering from its failed attack.  You know that somehow you need to defeat this foe yet, you don’t feel adequate, or necessary.  Then in the distance appears a demon with the younger version of you doing your best to kill it. You are reminded that Beowulf can always win the fight, for three reasons, 1, No person likes to be bound and oppressed, 2, if you unite with others with similar views to defeat the foe, 3, every choice and action has its consequence, either positive or negative.

Throughout civilization, there are a plethora of instances where people rebel against oppression.   In Rome, the Nicean Council was founded by Emperor Constantine the 1 because of the oppression Christians had received from previous emperors.  In America, Abraham Lincoln enacted the Emancipation proclamation, an attempt to free all slaves in the U.S. from their oppression. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints left America in the 1840s because of the restriction and oppression of the freedom of religion.   This goes to show that human nature disagrees with oppression. 

Publius Syrus once said, “Where there is unity there is always victory.”   Joan of Arc demonstrated this very well.   Because of the unity her men had, they were able to defeat the English and retake the city of Orleans for the French.   They were also able to safely escort the Dauphin to Reims to be crowned king.  As they were by the French, the English were defeated yet again by the Americans.   The founders of America found unity in their love of freedom and used that unity to overcome the English’s oppression.   

In the United States, the people recently choose to vote in a new president.   That president has since opened up borders, allowing millions of immigrants to enter without due process. The choice of voting in this new president has led to the consequence of their borders being overrun, their private property being abused, and their money being taken from them to feed, clothe, and house others.   In the book Inferno, Dante chose to follow Virgil and accept his protection. Because he did that he was able to make it safely through hell.   Brendan in the story of his voyage made lots of choices and some of the consequences are very evident.  At the beginning of the tale, he chooses to heed a prompting from an angel, and his consequence was that he found paradise.   

Some people believe that Beowulf will never win the fight because of the amount of corruption in the government.  Others feel that what they do has no consequence.  Those are thoughts that many others have as well.  Please remember that Beowulf can always win the fight if you unite together and strive for the good.   No matter what, good will overcome evil, even if it isn’t until Christ reigns on this earth again.   Do not ever solidify the thoughts put in your mind, telling you your choices have no consequence.  It is of the adversary and should be cast out without second thought.  

You decide to roll and strike.   Your sword strikes home and the dragon is slain.  As you walk away from your victory, exhausted but fulfilled, you catch a glimpse of another battle raging, between good and evil.  The evil appears to be winning, so you pick up your pace and rush to join your fellow Beowulf.  Together you can make it so Beowulf will always win when you unite with others, remember that every choice and action has a consequence, and remember that no person likes to be oppressed.  You can make a difference.  You are needed in the fight.   The song Into the Fire, by Douglas Sills, puts it best, “Yes it’s higher and higher and into the fire we go!  Into fire!  Onward ho!”