Life Lessons Pt. I - LOTR, Faramir

Upon realizing that the Showtimes have behind on their SMOi blog, I thought it an appropriate time to begin a series I would like to call "Life Lessons". The Life Lessons series are scenes taken from movies and books that can be directly correlated to our spiritual and personal lives. I mean, we're not on the field yet, so what else do we have to write about? This is from Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers and Return of the King.

Faramir, son of the Denethor, steward of Gondor, is faced with an incredible choice - aiding in the destruction of the Ring, or taking the Ring for Gondor. A little background info (in as little geeky words as possible): Frodo and Sam are on a quest to destroy the One Ring (which is the sum of all things evil, but really shiny and pretty) when they are captured by a Gondor patrol, led by Faramir, son of the Steward of Gondor (a stand-in until the rightful king claims the throne). Faramir and his father have a very tense relationship. He is always compared to his older brother, Boramir (part of the original Fellowship of the Ring), and is openly mistreated and belittled by his father. Faramir earnestly attempts to gain the love and acceptance of his father, but his efforts are always futile. Upon Boramir's death, the Steward of Gondor treats Faramir as if he were not his son at all, which fuels his overshadowing quest for acceptance.

Faramir encounters Frodo, Sam, and Gollum on their journey to Mordor. He takes them captive and, after confirming that they are not Sauron's spies, learns that they have possession of the One Ring of Power. Although Frodo and Sam try to convice him of the necessity of their quest, and the inevitable destruction that would follow the quest's failure, Faramir is blinded by the overwhelming desire to please his father. He decides to take the Ring to his father, which, in his mind, would be the ultimate gift.

Now to the good stuff - Faramir, in the end, realizes that letting Frodo and Sam complete their journey is the only way, the only right thing to do. He not only releases them, but gives them direction and aid in their quest. He knows that the only way to save Gondor, and ultimately Middle Earth, is for Frodo to destroy the ring. He is warned that his life would be the forfeit of his decision, to which he confidently replies, "Then it is forfeit." All of Faramir's desires would have come true if he had taken the Ring. His father would have been pleased and accepting, his country would have had a mighty weapon, and he would done what everyone expected of him. But taking the Ring for himself was, very simply, the wrong path.

People expect many things from us. The American dream of growing up in good standing, going to college, marrying a nice girl and having 2.5 children (that half child is quite scary looking), a house full of nice things and the approval of family and friends is such an overwhelming desire to us. Situations often vary greatly, but ultimately we desire to make our family and friends proud, gain and keep their approval, and finish out our lives with this accomplishment. Luke 9:57-62 says:

57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

I have heard it said that the man who tells Jesus that he must bury his father first doesn't specifically mean 'my father's dead, let me put his body in the ground', but instead means that his father is still alive, and he wishes to stay, make sure he's taken care of until he dies. Many of us run into similar situations to this, where our families or friends expect certain things out of us, which, in the end, eliminate our freedom. It often creates a cycle, where the child takes care of the parents, not just physically but emotionally and socially, until their death, and then their children do the same, etc. etc. Where, then, does the call of the Lord lie?

Please do not misunderstand me - there are many who are called to live their lives this way. But, please realize, that what the world expects of you and what God has called you to are more than often very contrasting things. In the situation of Faramir, he knew what he must do. I hope and pray, friends, that we all would consider in our own lives, what we know we must do. It may stir the waters, it may drop some jaws, it may cause your family and friends to think you're crazy, or be outright offended. You have to maintain incredible grace, love and patience with everyone while completing your task. Sometimes it means forsaking all else for the call of the Gospel. But it must be done. We must live our lives with righteousness. The Gospel must be taken to the world. We must go into all the earth. Not for our glory, not for our fame, and not for the story of it, but because God has commanded us. And what defines the servant if not obedience to his master? With our hand to the plow, never looking back, completing the task that has been appointed to us with every ounce of courage we can muster.

I will close with a word from Samwise Gamgee, the very words that changed the mind of Faramir, Captain of Gondor.

"It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo, the ones that really matter. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn't want to know the end, because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end it's only a passing thing, this shadow, even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sunshines it will shine out the clearer. Those are the stories that meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know the folk in those stories had lots of chances to turn back, only they didn't because they were holding on to something. (Frodo) What are we holding on to, Sam? (Sam) That there is some good in this world. And it's worth fighting for!"

And yes, I listened to the Lord of the Rings soundtrack while I wrote this.

Thick as Blood,

Showtime