The Lord of the Rings is ultimately a story of how friendship enables the improbable and the impossible. Yes, there is a looming good and evil battle in Middle Earth, but the path to the defeat of evil is only wrought through the power of relationship. At the risk of being imperative, we need relational bonds in this moment in the grand story of humanity. We are being torn asunder by the forces of the world that seek to isolate, foment hatred, and keep us at one another’s throats. What better way of sticking it to the powers than by making unlikely friends?
In the books and movies, the friendship of Legolas the elf and Gimli the dwarf features as both a heartwarming picture of unlikely friends and breaks of humor. The Elves and Dwarves foster ancient animosity toward one another. But on the quest to destroy the One Ring, Gimli and Legolas become friends willing to die with one another if it comes to that. In the books, Gimli shares his experience of the beauty in the caves of Helm’s Deep following the battle. Gimli moves Legolas such that he is willing to travel and share the beauty of the other’s experiences.
‘You move me, Gimli,’ said Legolas. ‘I have never heard you speak like this before. Almost you make me regret that I have not seen these caves. Come! Let us make this bargain – if we both return safe out of the perils that await us, we will journey for a while together. You shall visit Fangorn with me, and then I will come with you to see Helm’s Deep.’
Races that are enemies are brought together in Legolas and Gimli as they share in a quest and come to trust one another. Initially, the quest is what brings them together. But they come to form relationship in spite of their shared animosity such that the quest is no longer the tie that binds them to one another.
Gandalf’s affinity for Hobbits confounds his fellow wizards. This is especially true for Saruman. The idea that Hobbits are beneath the notice of the powerful is a reason that Hobbits are perfect ring bearers for the One Ring on a journey of destruction. This is also why Sauron misses the danger to his power. Speaking of Hobbits,
The primary friendship in The Lord of the Rings is, of course, Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee. While the two are both Hobbits, they are very different in attitude. Sam prefers to garden and is, like most Hobbits, leery of outsiders. Frodo is a dreamer who wants to experience adventure like his uncle Bilbo. Sam begins as merely Frodo’s gardener, but a loyal gardener is a lasting friend. Sam’s promise to help Frodo accomplish his quest of destroying the ring is a promise which he will not break. Even when Frodo attempts to leave Sam behind.
The lines in the book when Sam confronts Frodo as he is attempting to sneak away from the Fellowship is humorous shows Sam’s loyalty and friendship.
‘But I am going to Mordor.’ ‘I know that well enough, Mr. Frodo. Of course you are. And I’m coming with you.’ ‘Now, Sam,’ said Frodo, ‘don’t hinder me! The others will be coming back at any minute. If they catch me here, I shall have to argue and explain, and I shall never have the heart or the chance to get off. But I must go at once. It’s the only way.’ ‘Of course it is,’ answered Sam. ‘But not alone. I’m coming too, or neither of us isn’t going. I’ll knock holes in all the boats first.’ (LOTR p 547)
I like the way Peter Jackson alters the lines just slightly for more effect. “I am going to Mordor alone,” says Frodo. “Of course you are, and I’m coming with you!” says Sam. Friendship breeds loyalty and a willingness to enter into the journey of another.
Then we have the ultimate act of friendship by Sam as Frodo falters climbing Mount Doom.
‘Now for it! Now for the last gasp!’ said Sam as he struggled to his feet. He bent over Frodo, rousing him gently. Frodo groaned; but with a great effort of will he staggered up; and then he fell upon his knees again. He raised his eyes with difficulty to the dark slopes of Mount Doom towering above him, and then pitifully he began to crawl forward on his hands.
Sam looked at him and wept in his heart, but no tears came to his dry and stinging eyes. ‘I said I’d carry him, if it broke my back,’ he muttered, ‘and I will!’
‘Come, Mr. Frodo!’ he cried. ‘I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you and it as well. So up you get! Come on, Mr. Frodo dear! Sam will give you a ride. Just tell him where to go, and he’ll go.’ (LOTR p 940)
But even the friendship of Sam cannot overcome the lure of the One Ring for Frodo. No, for the quest to succeed, an accidental hero steps in and plunges himself and the ing to destruction. When Gollum tries to grab the ring, he causes the success of the quest. Why is Gollum there? The creature who would have turned them over to enemies to regain the ring is present because of the empathy and compassion of pity. The pity of Bilbo and the empathy of Gandalf come to Frodo’s mind at a moment when Sam desires to end Gollum’s pitiable life.
‘No,’ said Frodo. ‘If we kill him, we must kill him outright. But we can’t do that, not as things are. Poor wretch! He has done us no harm.’ ‘Oh hasn’t he!’ said Sam rubbing his shoulder. ‘Anyway he meant to, and he means to, I’ll warrant. Throttle us in our sleep, that’s his plan.’ ‘I daresay,’ said Frodo. ‘But what he means to do is another matter.’ He paused for a while in thought. Gollum lay still, but stopped whimpering. Sam stood glowering over him.
It seemed to Frodo then that he heard, quite plainly but far off, voices out of the past:
What a pity Bilbo did not stab the vile creature, when he had a chance! Pity? It was Pity that stayed his hand. Pity, and Mercy: not to strike without need. I do not feel any pity for Gollum. He deserves death. Deserves death! I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death. And some die that deserve life. Can you give that to them? Then be not too eager to deal out death in the name of justice, fearing for your own safety. Even the wise cannot see all ends. ((LOTR p 614)
Without the empathy, compassion, or pity shown toward an enemy in Gollum the quest to destroy the One Ring would have failed. Regaining the ability to see one another with empathy rather than enmity will be the only way to save our society from the chaos of hatred and exclusionary nationalism. It is far easier to treat others with contempt when we cannot empathize. It is relationship, especially empathetic relationship which will keep us from destroying humanity.
You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven, for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matt 5:43–48 NRSVue)
The Church is a body of people being formed in and immersed within the Kindom of God. This is a family in which there is no true outsider. All are invited to and are part of the Kindom. Our empathetic ethic is one in which we recognize the imago Dei present in the faces of each and every human being we encounter. This extends to creation and our interconnected relationship to our physical world. As we are formed in the likeness of Christ, Christians should be seeking to understand our world and our fellow human beings (empathy) in a way that allows us to see the respect and love poured out by God upon all.
As we move from respect and kindness to full empathy, we recognize the sacramental nature of relationship. We become friends rather than enemies because our diversity shows how very alike we are. One of the most damaging false teachings in the Church is that human beings are not worthy of the love of God. Human beings were created to be loved and in relationship with God. We are created for and through love according to our scriptures. I pray we live into that truth.
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Lord of the Rings. Illustrated edition, Houghton Mifflin, 2021.