The Poem

In Nepal I fell back in love with literature. I travelled with nine others, and each of us brought a few books, ranging from Into Thin Air, to A Severe Mercy, to Screwtape Letters, to The Lord of the Rings series. I did not read the LOTR series while in Nepal, but was reminded that I had always intended to re-read the series now that I was older and had seen all of the films. I have friends that are absolutely mad about LOTR, and would choose to live in the Shire in a heartbeat. Two of them even have a silhouette of Aragorn and Legolas tattooed on their thighs. 


Now, I wouldn't say that my love for the series runs that deep, but upon beginning to read through the series again, I came across this poem.

"All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither, 
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king."


The poem appears twice in The Fellowship of the Ring. It appears first in Gandalf's letter to the hobbits in Bree, before they know that Strider (Aragorn) is the subject of the verse. It is repeated by Bilbo Baggins at the Council of Elrond. He tells Frodo that he wrote it long ago, when Aragorn first revealed who he was. The first line, taken from Shakespeare, suggests that Aragorn is far more important than he looks, but his purpose had not yet been revealed. Even though Aragon appears to many at first to be a wandering vagabond, unsure of his purpose and seeming aimless, he has great purpose, that was just not yet revealed. 


I know only a small amount about J.R.R. Tolkien, having learned from friends this year about his partaking in a group of English literature analysts that went by the name "The Inklings" at Oxford University. His close relationship with C.S. Lewis played a key role in Lewis' transition from Atheism to Christianity, as Tolkien's unshakable faith acted as a witness to Lewis' doubting. 


The beautiful thing about literature, is the allowance for the reader to take characters and pictures and let them reflect circumstances and people in their own lives. When reading literature written by Christian authors, one can often draw parallels to stories in the Bible, the character of God, and the Christian faith. And in reading The Fellowship of the Ring, I cannot help but apply the lines in that poem to this season of my life. 


If I am wandering in the Almighty, then it is not a wandering that is a result of lostness. But rather, it is a wandering rooted in faith. Faith that He will provide, and that what is in front of me currently, is all that He wants for me right now. 


So, I wander. In the direction He has placed my feet facing.


Which is straight towards Him.