New Warhorn Media post by Nathan Alberson:
Thanks for recording this one guys. I always wondered which Avenger was most like Gandalf 
Seriously though, I did appreciate the conversation and just wanted to comment on the Houses of Healing. I found this chapter incredibly lame just 2-3 years ago, but when I reread it last night to my boys, I actually liked it. I think it’s too drawn out and repetitive.
But.
It shows Aragorn, the coming king, showing up and healing, making everything right, setting everything in order. He’s not just a ruler - Denethor was that. He’s the rightful king in his proper place. And so things are put right.
It’s one of the many episodes of a Christlike figure showing up. When Jesus came, he healed the sick and began to put things in order. He began to exercise dominion over His kingdom. This is similar.
There are obviously problems with this chapter. I doubt Tolkien had an editor. But it’s also beautiful in a way.
Keep up the good work.
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Thanks, those are good points. It certain has its points … theoretically at least. 
And that is why LOTR is excellent in any preaching exercise where what you are doing is not so much reasoning from the Scriptures as reasoning to them. (Years ago in a sermon series, I identified some key ideas which came out of the books, and then worked from those ideas to show how they illustrated some key Scriptural truths. The Ring, as an image of Sin, made in my not-so-humble opinion for quite a strong preaching point).
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