Greetings Dear Reader,
When I first encountered Samwise Gamgee, I immediately liked
him. At age eight, his name was close
enough to my Grandfather’s that there was instant affinity. Like my Grandfather, Samwise was a gardener who
held great strength of character. Like
him, Sam was much more than meets the eye.
Sam enters the story dropping eves and trimming the
verge. He is already watching over Frodo
and overhears the story of horror regarding the One Ring. Gandalf catches him and assigns him to
accompany Frodo and protect him. The
servant heart of Samwise is already inclined to this.
 |
| Sam and Shelob- John Howe |
He is the only member of the Fellowship to reach the end of
the quest with Frodo. When he thinks
Frodo dead because of Shelob’s attack, he takes up the ring for a bit. Other than Deagol, he carries the ring for
the shortest time. He does not possess
it and it fails to possess him. His humility
and understanding allow him to return the ring to Frodo with little
struggle.
My mind contrasts his care of the ring with the role of
Denethor the Steward of Gondor. Both
acted over stewards for those who rightfully should carry a burden. The difference is that Sam never saw the ring
as his. Rather, he saw it as fulfilling
an obligation to the Fellowship and to Frodo by taking up the ring and the
quest to destroy it.
Sam believes in the forces beyond Sauron that exist for good
and evil. He knows there is a greater
purpose at work in the great stories. He
humbly understands that he does not own the ring and never should. Even after Frodo has the ring back, he
carries Frodo up the mountain when the burden becomes too great for his
companion.
What we learn from Samwise is that humble dedication to what
is good yields greater good even when filled with sorrow. Sam loses much in the quest to do what is
right. He sees his dearest friend near
death several times. He experiences the
betrayal of Boromir and carries the pain of his death. The trauma of Smeagol’s danger and Frodo’s
mistrust hurt him deeply. Through all of
it, he remains humbly loyal to what is good, his word, and the quest.
Even after the ring is destroyed, he returns to the Shire he
loves. His heart breaks as he sees how
it has been scoured by Saruman. He
spends his life trying to restore it but the sorrow of it seems a deep wound
for such loyalty.
What I must carry that is Sam’s is that he clings to the
humble idea of duty to what is right above all else. Even when his friends act poorly, he remains
with them, doing his best to carry the good forward. He defends the quest at all costs. He sees the journey through in hope when the
darkness is deep and closing around him.
I must not give up my love for others at any cost. The quest to get things back to good is never
one to abandon. Those who betray me or
doubt me are still worthy of my love.
Even when things are darkest, there are stars; there is light to
find. The journey is not about
possessing or ownership. It is about
stewarding that with which we are entrusted in ways that honor those who commissioned
us. It is about letting go when it is
time and returning to our station of companion and fellow traveler; always looking
for the chance to serve the quest further.
So, I ask, Dear Reader, what burden can I shoulder for you? How can I help you along the way?
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every
writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a
homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure
store.”
(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Every human story is part of the great story that leads
to the Father getting everything back to Good.
Contacts for Aramis
Thorn:
#aramisthorn
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