A Rambling Raconteur

"I tried to take the ring from Frodo," he said. "I am sorry. I have paid." His glance strayed to his fallen enemies; twenty at least lay there.
- The Two Towers, Chapter 1 - The Departure of Boromir

Boromir, the favorite son of Denethor, wanted nothing but the rescue of his people. He saw before him a small token of gold hat held unimitable power. Perhaps even the power to save Gondor from slaughter. He wanted the ring in order to save his people. That is a very honorable thought but the problem is that Boromir was under the assumption that strength and power were the key. He was a warrior, after all. He thought armies and arrows would bring victory. His pride in his strength blinded him to the truth that his only real hope lay with a halfling, a creature with no great strength or prowess. A hobbit whose only weapon was a great deal of heart.

It took only a small seed of this emotion to capture Boromir. In the presence of the evil of the ring he went mad. The ring used that small big of doubt and pride and tried to kill him with it. Boromir tries to take the ring from Frodo. Frodo escapes. The madness leaves Boromir and he immediately jumps to the aid of the other hobbits as the orcs descend.

"I have paid," he says. Does he mean the dead orcs at his feet or the fact that he is dying? I believe it to be a little of both. He has slain some of the orcs that were attempting to capture the hobbits. He has given his life to a cause he wasn't sure of until it was almost too late. He has redeemed himself.

It's a great metaphor for the Christian life. Our redemption comes through death. We die to the world, die to ourselves and our sinful natures. In this death we live through Christ. We are redeemed. We are saved.

I think in this moment Boromir gave the only thing he knew he had: his life. His strength was fading. His noble birth could not help him. His life was all that was left so he gave it up. That is our own story, too. We have nothing to offer Christ but our lives. Everything else is superfluous. We can only life for him and use whatever gifts he bestows upon us during our journey.

"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." - Philippians 1:21