Committed to the journey: Lessons from "Frieren" and faith

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As a pastor, I have often witnessed the misconception that baptism marks the end of a spiritual journey. Yet, it's truly only the beginning. This concept was vividly illustrated to me while watching the anime series "Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End." It reminded me that the real story often only starts after a significant achievement and the true journey is what follows after that moment.

Justifying Grace and the Ongoing Saga

"Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End" narrates the life of Frieren, an elven mage, following her decade-long adventures with a group that defeated the Demon King. In the past, the heroic group included Frieren, human hero Himmel, dwarven warrior Eisen, and human priest Heiter. This tale, echoing themes from Tolkien's works and the high fantasy mythos, highlights the longevity of elves and their unique perspective on life. 

I am often drawn to stories that play with the concept of starting at the end of another story. “Frieren” beautifully encapsulates that what we often see as an end is merely a new beginning. In our exciting Christian faith journey, this is a familiar feeling–the mountaintop high of a convicting moment can lead us to think we have reached the peak of our lives as Christians.

In the context of United Methodism, this is akin to the Justifying Grace experienced in baptism or confirmation when we accept Jesus as our Savior. It is a starting point for a longer spiritual journey – similar to the commencement of Frieren's quest. As John Wesley wrote in “The Scripture Way of Salvation”, “[Justification] is the forgiveness of all our sins.” Many erroneously believe that this is the ultimate goal of Christianity. We stop at John 3:16 and don’t consider the higher call that Jesus placed upon our lives after our sins are wiped clean. In truth, forgiveness marks the start of a new phase of grace, just as Frieren’s conquering of the Demon King is only the beginning of another phase of life that the audience gets to see in the series.

Sanctifying Grace and the Quest for Understanding

In the series, Frieren's race experiences a sense of ennui due to their lengthy lifespans, a theme I explore in in my Nerdy Sermon. When she meets up with her original adventuring gang for the Era Meteors, Frieren finds that humanity has changed, and her former companions have distinctly aged. Following one final journey to see the meteor shower, Himmel, whom Frieren was quite fond of, dies of old age. During the funeral, Frieren expressed guilt for not attempting to learn more about him. Thus, her journey is reignited by a desire to understand her late companion (and the feelings that she is processing) better. 

This mirrors the Methodist concept of Sanctifying Grace, where the journey of faith continues post-justification, striving toward holiness and a deeper understanding of Christ’s call for us to “be perfect.” While most are far from perfect, and we have plenty of rocky moments, we are called to live out the life Christ has placed ahead of us, pursuing holiness by following Wesley’s General Rules of “doing good, doing no harm, and attending upon the ordinances of God.” Just as Frieren embarks on her path to comprehend her feelings for Himmel and humanity, Christians are called to live a life of holiness and continuous growth in grace.

Discipleship and Making Relationships

The biggest question we might encounter during our Christian journey is “what do we actually do?” What exactly is the work that Christ has laid before us? The Christian journey involves discipleship, as outlined in the Great Commission. In Frieren’s tale, this takes place in the form of the menagerie of allies she will make after her original adventuring party has gone off on their own, either to their final rest or retirement.

 

The first and seemingly most vital relationship she forms is with the young orphaned Fern. After deciding to continue her journey, Frieren pays a visit to her remaining former comrades. During a visit with the priest Heiter, she accepts an offer to teach and care for Fern, an orphaned human child that he had adopted but could no longer care for adequately. Despite initial trepidation, Frieren consents and embarks on a journey together with Fern while still pursuing her own passion for learning magic. As the audience sees, however, this is a somewhat fated encounter that will allow Frieren to learn more about humanity through her building a relationship with Fern.

Her role in Fern's life and her interactions with former comrades reflect the Christian mission of making disciples and nurturing relationships. This aligns perfectly with our stated mission: “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” We understand that our call as Christians is to not only seek holiness in our sanctification but to also raise others who might do that work as well. This process of guiding others, akin to Frieren's mentorship of Fern, is central to the storyline and the Methodist mission of transforming the world through faith.

An Eternal Narrative

"Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End" does not tell a new story; rather, it revisits timeless themes of love, humanity, and the pursuit of understanding. It parallels the Christian experience where grace propels us forward, reminding us that our spiritual journey is not concluded with baptism but is an ongoing epic saga. Like Frieren's pursuit of understanding love and humanity, Christians are motivated by grace to continue their journey, making it a tale as old as time yet ever-evolving.

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