The essence of heroism is not depicted in the glory of a victory march, nor the accolades of the people when the hero comes marching home. It is not in the honors heaped upon him, nor in fame and glory. Such things come after the fact.
The essence of true heroism is self sacrifice.
I recently watched the Lord of the Rings Trilogy again after not having seen in nearly a year. While watching the first movie “The Fellowship of the Ring,” I suddenly remembered why the Trilogy have always been my favorite movies.
Aside from the amazing action, the breathtaking battles, and convincing characters, there is something in the movies that goes deeper, strikes at the heart, sends you away emboldened and encouraged and ready to take on anything. And watching the movie again for the first time in a year, I realized what it was: heroism.
One of my favorite heroic scenes in the first movie takes place toward the end. The Fellowship has just left Lothlorien, finished a short trip down the River Anduin, and has paused to rest on the Western side of the river before a planned crossing to the Eastern side that night.
Fast forward past Boromir’s attempt robbery of the ring from Frodo … Frodo flees and is found by Aragorn. Here, Aragorn does what Boromir could not and denies the Ring, allowing Frodo to leave to accomplish the Quest. Suddenly, Aragorn notices the Frodo’s sword is glowing blue — orcs are approaching! He sends Frodo on his way, and drawing his sword, rushes a entire orc host to hold them off and enable Frodo to escape.
And here is where the heroic selflessness and sacrifice is truly played out. As Frodo flees the orcs, every single member of the Fellowship willingly steps forward, ready to lay down their lives so that Frodo can accomplish his mission.
Merry and Pippin rush out from safety and distract the orcs, drawing them away from Frodo’s hiding place. They are captured.
Boromir races up and fight bravely to keep the two young hobbits safe. He willingly gives his life trying to protect them and dies while trying to let others live.
Aragorn, battling hundreds of orcs, scarcely evades death a dozen times as he fights to give Frodo time to escape, and later to try and save Boromir.
Legolas and Gimli join Aragorn and fight at his side against the overwhelming odds.
Sam nearly drowns in the River while trying to join Frodo.
Not one of the Fellowship thought of themselves. They realized that they were a part of something bigger. They were selfless, willing to sacrifice themselves so that Frodo could escape and the Quest would continued.
Heroism requires self sacrifice, and this is the theme that makes the Lord of the Rings truly great.
“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”
(John 15:13)
This verse is displayed by each member of the fellowship in the Lord of the Rings. It was also displayed in the greatest possible way by our Lord and Savior, when He died on the cross not only for His friends, but for His enemies — us, sinners and therefore enemies of God.
It should also be displayed in our lives. Are you ready to make this sacrifice today?
But how could you possibly sacrifice your life for someone today? For many of us, the question of whether we will actually physically sacrifice our lives for someone else is not likely to come up in the midst of ordinary day-to-day life.
But this is not simply a rhetorical question.
Are you willing to lay down your life for a friend today? Are you ready to set aside your goals, dreams, plans, wishes and desires for another today? Will you sacrifice your time, pleasures, hopes and longings for a friend?
This is heroism of a different kind.
It may not involve actually sacrificing your life — no moment of valor to be remembered forever, no last “blaze of glory.” It’s a quiet heroism, often unrecognized and forgotten. And it’s not a onetime event, but a daily, continual sacrifice of self for others. But heroes are not only those whose deeds are recorded in history, whose names pass into legend and song; the unsung hero is no less a hero because his deeds and name are unsung!
In the last book of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King, there is a conversation which takes place between Aragorn and Eowyn, the shield maiden of Rohan. Although it was not written exactly about this subject and the circumstances were slightly different, I think that it still applies.
“Shall I always be chosen?” she said bitterly. “Shall I always be left behind when the Riders depart, to mind the house while they win renown, and find food and beds when they return?”
“A time may come soon,” said he, “when none will return. Then there will be need of valour without renown, for none shall remember the deeds that are done in the last defense of your homes. Yet the deeds will not be less valiant because they are unpraised.”
The deeds will not be less valiant because they are unpraised.
Your deeds may very well go unpraised — often unthanked, even unnoticed. But service is not done for praise, nor are heroic deeds done for glory.
Those who give of themselves, who lay down their lives, who sacrifice for others, they are the true heroes.
It is a pity that we do not see more of them these days…
So, are you ready to sacrifice? Are you ready to lay down your life?
“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 11: 43-45)
