Who Are You in the Story?

OK, back in April, I threatened to share with you my favorite character in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I got a little sidetracked, but want to get back to that now.

JT and Andy shared their favorites, Legolas and Boromir, respectively. These are both great characters. Legolas does have that marvelous, though chicky hair that JT lacks. And Boromir represents well the human condition – we are creatures who think that we can solve all problems, no matter how daunting, if we are just given the opportunity. Yes, it would be very cool to see yourself as Legolas, ever-young, wicked with a bow, and really hard to hit ‘cuz he bounces around like a jumping bean. And, what I know of Andy, it doesn’t surprise me for a moment that he identifies with Boromir. A fairly honest self-assessment with a tendency to evaluate on the low end for humility’s sake makes Boromir a likely choice for all of us.

Maybe you see yourself as the valiant warrior and gracious hero of the day, and Aragorn is your character. Or, maybe you refuse to give in to physical inadequacies, are doggedly stubborn and immensely competitive, and Gimli is your favorite. Or, perhaps you desire to wield unearthly power and alter circumstances with the power of your spoken word, and you see yourself in Gandalf or Arwen or Galadriel.

Let me show you the character that I admire the most. He’s an unlikely hero. In fact, if no one tells his story, you would never know that he played a significant role at all. He’s Samwise Gamgee, or Sam as he’s called. And why is he my favorite? Because Sam is the most reluctant leader you would ever find. Nowhere does he try to take a position of authority, but his leadership and strength, his loyalty and courage shine throughout the story. He is thoroughly content not being the lead guy but immensely aware of his responsibility and role in seeing the team succeed. And Sam understands that his life is defined by the story. He doesn’t create the story so it has meaning for him. Rather, he realizes that a life poured out serving a noble cause is a life well-lived. Yes, he has weak moments, but Sam is driven by his commitment to the cause and to his fellow warriors. And I can think of no finer thing that could be said of a person when his or her life is weighed.

Watch the two videos below and then ask yourself if you are living a life fully committed to serving God and His Kingdom through His people, the church. Are you living the only life that’s worth dying for?