The Worm Ouroboros is an epic classic of fantasy literature, written by E. R. Eddison and first published in 1922. In it, a group of Mercurian heroes, incongruously called Demons, battle against the forces of Witchland in a tale of battles, intrigue, sacrifice, treachery, and honor that spans their world. The book  ends with the heroes’ victory over their arch-enemies, but, like the real Alexander the Great, they find that their lives are empty without the challenge of the struggle. In desperation, they pray for relief, and their prayers are answered when the world shifts and the story begins again with a reprise of the opening scene of the book. The title of the book refers to a snake that swallows its own tail, symbolizing the endless cycle of life.

Eddison’s book is not, strictly speaking, an allegory, yet it holds parallels with our lives. The heroes are  not perfect, with obvious weaknesses which include temptation, doubt, cruelty, selfishness, and even cowardice. Some fall away from the quest and disappear from the story. Many of their efforts end in mixed success or even complete failure. This sounds a lot like our faith experience. We may advance today but retreat tomorrow. As in the book, the true heroes of our story are those that rise again when they fall, who admit their mistakes, who do better next time. They do not give up, even when the struggle seems endless. They do not lose heart when a comrade abandons them to serve the enemy.

As Paul wrote in Ephesians 6, we do not battle against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil. For most of us, this takes shape as a clash with our own sinfulness, with our propensity to turn away from God to please ourselves. Often, it becomes an effort to avoid apathy and laziness in practicing our faith. The struggle can seem endless, especially when we lapse into old habits or suffer setbacks in our family life. We may become discouraged as the years pass. And yet, our life journey is not like the snake that swallows itself. We are not doomed, like the Sisyphus of Greek myth, to ever roll the stone uphill, to repeat this combat forever. We have a goal, an end of this life that begins the new  life with Christ in eternity. While we still breathe and exist on this battlefield, we retain the ability to choose right or wrong, good or evil. Those choices are, perhaps, the only true accomplishments we can claim in eternity. Our task is to make the choice of Christ anew every day, to learn, grow, adore and serve Him. We must not give up hope, for our general has already won the War.