I have to admit that I am a fan of The Lord of the Rings, especially the movie series, because it puts into cinematic view J.R.R. Tolkien’s magnificent world and its struggle against evil. I also believe that the casting team did a good job in finding a good Frodo and Gollum, resembling each other to portray their inner struggles to do the right thing. Both of them are connected to the ring of power, but Frodo is able to overcome many of its power-centric and evil pulls because he has good friends to help him along the way. Gollum spends most of his life obsessing over the ring and letting it rob him of his humanity, thus ultimately leading him toward his own perdition. Therefore, I would like to reflect on the two characters, especially the value of friendship and priorities, so we can see the big difference that good friends and meaningful relationships can make a difference in our life and faith journey in choosing to do the right thing.
Frodo and Gollum are portrayed differently but very similarly to each other in the movie series. There is a great interplay of free will and greed in the very plot of the series, especially between the two characters. They both struggle with the ring of power, especially with the selfish and insidious desire to control and possess it personally, and at times, at all costs, too! Nonetheless, Frodo never really loses his humanity, even though he has been overtaken by its power from time to time. On the other hand, Gollum is locked up in his own miseries because he is possessive and obsessive about the object. He lusts for it and wants to have it at all costs, hence losing his own self-worth, freedom, and identity because he only cares about that very possession.
Frodo is able to treat Gollum with compassion even though the creature keeps wanting to steal the ring from him. He cares for the creature even though he struggles with himself to avoid being under the control of evil, paranoia, and self-centered fears. The main character of The Lord of the Rings is weak, like many of us! He struggles to do the right thing, but the desire for power and possessiveness of earthly goods keep pulling him into their deceptive trap. It makes him turn against the people around him because he is scared of them stealing the ring from him. There are times in the story when he almost turns into Gollum or similar people who wanted to possess the ring in the past, doubting and pushing people around him away just because he wants the ring for himself. We can sense the slippery slope of over-possessiveness that motivates fears and creates isolation both in Frodo and in our very own lives. When we isolate people from our lives for the sake of something lesser, we lose the life-giving relationships and wisdom that keep us focused on what is real.
Unlike Gollum, Frodo has people who keep him grounded and focused on the mission to end the control of evil instead of letting it control him. Similarly, Christian charity requires much more of us than our human standards of liking, retribution, or justice! We do all things because of Christ, who loves us, not simply because of what we like or what seems to be beneficial for us at the moment. Hence, that is why love is hard and heavy — like a cross — to bear at times.
A lot of people who are struggling with depression, anxiety, or relationship issues have similar root causes, which stem from their overdependency and overfocus on themselves, either thinking too little of themselves or overly expecting unrealistic things of people. Like Gollum, we can easily become obsessed with materialistic, worldly, or egocentric goods, and we become consumed by those matters. Many have spent so much time seeking “more” to the detriment of their own health and wellbeing, at the expense of their family and loved ones, because they are never happy with what they have! These are some of the loneliest and bitterest in the world because they have allowed themselves to be defined by fleeting and bottomless greed and its destructive wants and desires. They might be successful and have much in the eyes of the world… they might be objects of envy and other people wish to have what they have… but they really have nothing life-giving and substantial because they are all shallow, vain, and fleeting external factors. They are lonely because they never take the time to care and choose to love others, only objectifying or using people to serve their needs. They find excuses to walk away from relationships as soon as they get hurt or do not get what they want because it is all about them! Their ego is too fragile to be OK with the messiness that comes from loving and choosing to love others even when it hurts, is inconvenient, or is hard (because none of us is perfect). They become enslaved by their own obsessions and fragile egocentric excuses instead of learning to trust, forgive, and choose the (greater) good of others.
I really want you to take the time to think about what I just shared… This leads me toward the real question: Why do relationships suffer?!? I believe it happens when we stop loving and willing the good of the people who are around us when we become so focused on secondary matters, desires, wants, or priorities instead of our primary duties, responsibilities, and the people who are important to us. We might be doing all the “right” things, but we forget who is important and why we are intentionally choosing to love, care, forgive, reconcile, and continue to choose them instead of lesser goods. Frodo is able to accomplish his mission because of the friends who are there for him… who stay with him even when he doubts and pushes them away at times! There are times when he becomes so obsessed and possessive of the ring that it robs him of his peace and makes him doubt others. I want you to think about those things that rob us away from the people, values, and priorities that give us higher meaning, purpose, and identity as well! They might seem appealing and good, but they are actually killing us deep from within, destroying our peace and isolating us so we become miserable and all alone.
Frodo pushes his friends away when he becomes more possessive of the ring. He isolates himself and begins to be paranoid about those who are around him. He is constantly worried that they will steal the ring away from him. Thus, he acts like Gollum when he begins to call the ring, “My Precious!” Think about it, this happens to us, too, when we become more egocentric and let sin creep in and corrupt us. The Devil feeds on our ego and perverts our desires toward lesser, possessive, vain, and shallow goods. He manipulates our intentions and makes them all about us instead of focusing on the greater good! Thus, sin isolates and pushes people who care for us away as we become so enveloped and locked in our own little world that we are willing to hurt, use, manipulate, look down on, doubt, question, or treat other people only for our own good. Sin and its desire for power, possessiveness, and control push us into a downward spiral of isolation, despair, sadness, and hopelessness.
As believers, we are invited to put God first and to do everything out of love for Him instead of chasing after human possessions or building things for ourselves. Once we love Him above all things, we can then really love Him in all things and everyone around us. Each and every moment, we are called to let go of our lesser “My Precious” to love and embrace the One who is truly precious and worthy of our love above all things. Only in His love can we embrace all out of genuine, theocentric love for others!
In a society that is becoming more pluralistic, hedonistic, and secularistic each and every single day, where everyone is taught and “inspired” to be the best version of themselves, working hard to achieve and become whoever they want to be, there has to be something more. For us as Christians, this answer is, of course, Christ Jesus, but we do have to find personal, genuine, and creative ways to bring His presence into this world. Why? I believe that we are living in an age and time where not many people know, care, or find the time to seek the divine presence and try to understand themselves anymore. Fewer people will go out of their way and change their lives to become disciples. It has to be the disciples who go out and bring others to Him! Hence, we cannot do it in typical ways as we have done in the past. We need to pray, reflect, and discern creative ways to truly bring our faith to others.
God can do great things… and as a matter of fact, He is doing them each and every day, changing hearts, caring for us in unknown and what seems to be simple ways, moving and transforming people with His loving grace, but it is up to each and every one of us to see and able to appreciate the hidden works of love that are interwoven into the daily fabric of our lives. When we recognize the tremendous, undeserving, and gracious love of God given to each and every one of us in a personal, loving, and unique way, we should, in turn, become grateful by sharing those blessings through a life of service to our fellow neighbors, brothers and sisters, too. When we personally recognize how much He has loved us in spite of our unworthiness, and how many blessings He has bestowed upon us without us knowing or asking for them at times, we should become humble, caring, merciful, and compassionate in sharing the undeserving but freely given love to others who are around us.
When we know our eternal purpose and mission, we can use what we have in all genuine humility and limitations to help one another along the way. Things do not have to go our way or be about us because we are called to a greater mission and purpose, called to give ourselves and help others through the gifts bestowed on us, and willing to make sacrifices for the eternal and everlasting good! If we are able to will the good of the other person as a brother or sister in Christ, we are able to love them in all of their gifts and failures, hence able to treasure and respect them as they are instead of what they should be for us alone.
When our faith is grounded in the truth to love, treasure, and collaborate with our Creator to make this world better, we become more humble, patient, respectful, and loving because we are to love one another as truly made in His image and likeness instead of treated as objects, products, or means. When we love and give ourselves wholly and completely, our self-worth becomes holistically grounded in the transcendental, eternal, and everlasting, hence being in touch, awakened, aware, and sensitive to the power and working of the Holy Spirit in our midst.
Our faith reminds us that the Lord Jesus Christ had everything at His command and could choose to live as whatever He wanted, but He chose to be poor, to be near the forgotten, ignored, and abandoned. The Savior chose simplicity because He wanted our love, not just some pretentious titles, riches, wealth, or achievements. He just wants our genuine heart, love, and devotion! Therefore, let us be simple, humble, genuine, and committed to our lives of faith, opening our hearts to receive His love through a life of dedication and prayer. May what we have received from the Lord be shared with those around us, not with words, but with a life committed and founded in Him. May we help one another to see that true, life-giving gifts of self do not have to be noisy and egocentric, for it is through His holy presence and will for each and every one of us, we will transform the world (one person at a time). May we give the gift of God, centered and founded on faith enlivened through worship and prayer, to one another without the pretense and need for words.
— (The picture of the characters “Frodo” and “Gollum” is taken from The Lord of the Rings movie series by New Line Cinema) —