Boromir and the Ring
In recent weeks I had the privilege of spending the evening with my dad and talking until well past when we both knew we should be going to sleep. It was like a moment was held out to me to hear and to be heard, to be challenged and to find voice for what is often held silent. I hope that I will always take hold of those opportunities. I did not fully realize that the conversation was still so present with me, until tonight, when I came nearly to the end of The Fellowship of the Ring. I have been reading Tolkien’s book to my teenage daughters for the few minutes just before they turn off their lights. It has taken the better part of a year. Today we came to the tragic fall of Boromir. At some point in my late-night conversation with Dad, he and i were reflecting on the tendency of Christians to desire control in our world, to gain political influence in order to usher in what is good. Dad remarked, “That is, of course, the whole point of the Ring of Power in Lord of the Rings.” The c...