If He Be Worthy...

The sword in the stone.

It is the ultimate test, and it is one of the soul.  Who would be willing to try to wield a weapon that can come down in judgement upon you?  It is a weapon that can only be used by those who are pure in heart, by those who have more than self assured authority, in short, by those who are worthy.  Such is the case with that of a certain hammer in the movie, "Thor."

This is a lesson of a space prince, desperate to prove himself in all of the wrong places for a father's love.  Blinded by his hubris and his strength, he loses respect for the power that he holds and acts out in violence, not for honor, or self defense, but for the adrenaline rush of bludgeoning the very souls, if his racism would see passed their blue skin, that he had just sworn to protect.  Described by his father as a "vain, greedy, cruel, boy," he is cast out of his presence to live as a mortal man.  Stripped of his grand halls, of his friends, and of his power, he is left as a broken shell of a god, and barely a man.

His father, wise in judgement, trusted in mercy for his son by sending the only means of help that would change his wayward heir, a chance to earn all of it back.  He does so by sending Mjolnir, the mystical hammer to Midgard, or Earth, saying the words, "Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor."

Believing his stay on the mortal world to be nothing more than a child at time out, when Thor hears of the hammer smashing down in the desert, he assumes that he is on his way home.  After shaming the government officials surrounding the place, he looks upon his weapon with an award winning smile.  In triumph, he reaches for the handle, and pulls.

But to his shock and dismay, it will not budge.  The rain cascaded down like tears as he agonizes over it.  Pulling with his might, he is left weak and broken.  Falling to his knees and screaming at the sky for anyone to hear the injustice, Thor wonders if it is some sort of cruel prank, or if this is his real punishment, to have his way home, but to never be able to use it.

Losing the will to fight, he finally begins.  Finally blinded, he saw.  Utterly broken, he began to be fixed.  It is where he was at his lowest, where he felt he could fall no farther, when all traces of hope was taken away, and there was no way out for him that he was finally in a place desperate enough to be taught.

Is this not a familiar story?  Is it not everyone's story at least at some point in our lives?  Are we not all sent here with by a Father with a way back home where a throne awaits?  Are we not all pouty children crying over our toy, yet destined to be kings and queens on high?  And is there not a power on this Earth that can only be wielded by those found worthy?

This is the human condition, and it is the moment that Thor discovers what it truly means to be a man.  Losing his power makes him a better man than he ever was as a god.  Not even knowing what it means to be worthy, he begins to become such.

What does it take to be worthy?  Thor's lesson for all is that such power can only be used to help other people.  It is not for personal gain.  If this were a scripture story, you would call that Priesthood Power, and you would call what Thor experienced a, "Mighty change of heart."  And what a description for the god whose name is synonymous with the word, "mighty."

So, lift the hammer with your might.  cry to the sky for answers to the seemingly unjust questions of the heart.  Then look inwards to see why those doors are not yet opened to you.  Like Thor, you may just find that a true hero is not measure by the size of his strength, or by the titles you have, but by the strength of ones heart.  Serve others, and you will find inside the hero who was broken and torn by pride.  Such a thing will take sacrifice, and it may not have a hero's welcome at the end.  But living like that is worth every effort.  Ye are gods.  Act as you are one, and not as a child pouting over a toy.

Lift, and be found worthy to stand.