The Long Defeat …
An ESUMC blog reflection from Pastor Kevin
"We know that the whole creation has been groaning together as if it were giving birth. And it's not only the creation. We ourselves who have the Spirit as the first crop of the harvest also groan inside as we wait to be adopted and for our bodies to be set free." - Romans 8:22-23 (CEB)
A friend of my recently pointed me to Tolkien and his concept of “the long defeat.” I have been pondering it ever since. In J.R.R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, the elven queen Galadriel speaks of fighting "the long defeat" through ages of the world. Despite her wisdom, power, and immortality, she acknowledges that history itself seems to be a series of setbacks, losses, and retreats. Tolkien, a devout Catholic, later expanded on this in his personal letters, writing that as a Christian, he did not "expect 'history' to be anything but a 'long defeat.'" He didn't stop there. He added that within this long defeat are "samples or glimpses of final victory."
As I look at our world today—the political divisions, the environmental crises, the economic uncertainties, the cultural fragmentation—it's easy to feel we too are witnessing our own chapter in this long defeat. The tension in our society is palpable. Trust in institutions continues to erode. The common good often seems readily if not eagerly sacrificed on the altar of partisan advantage. Many of us feel exhausted by it all. But Tolkien's Christian perspective reminds us of something crucial: we aren't meant to find ultimate victory in the pages of human history. Not yet.
This is where Romans 8 speaks so powerfully to our moment. Paul acknowledges that creation itself groans under the weight of brokenness. We who have the Spirit as a foretaste of what's to come—we groan too, awaiting full redemption. There's an honest recognition that things aren't as they should be. The current state of affairs is not the final word. The biblical narrative teaches us that we live in the "already but not yet" of God's kingdom. Christ has already won the decisive victory over sin and death, but the full manifestation of that victory awaits His return. We live in the tension between these realities.
So what does this mean for us today, as we navigate our seemingly fragile political climate and divided society?
First, it means we can be honest about the pain and struggles of our time without surrendering to despair. Yes, we may be fighting what feels like a long defeat on many fronts. But we don't fight as those without hope.
Second, it means we're called to look for and celebrate those "glimpses of final victory" that break through even now. When enemies reconcile, when the poor are lifted up, when justice prevails, when creation is restored—these are signposts pointing to God's coming kingdom.
Third, it means our ultimate hope isn't in political victories, cultural influence, or historical progress—though we should work for good in all these areas. Our hope is in a God who is making all things new, who will one day wipe every tear from our eyes. Perhaps this is why Tolkien's vision resonates with me so much. He understood that the story we're living in is both tragic and hopeful. It's a story where evil and suffering are painfully real, where the “good guys” don't always win in the short term, where faithful endurance matters more than immediate success.
At the same time, there is also a story where unexpected joy breaks through, where small acts of courage and kindness turn the tide, where defeat is never the final word. As we navigate these uncertain times, let us be people who name the reality of the long defeat but who live in light of the greater victory that is already won and is yet to come. Let us be people who groan with creation in honest lament but who also embody the hope of new creation.
In doing so, we join with saints across the ages who have fought the long defeat with patience, courage, and unshakable hope in the One who has overcome the world.