(See also “Wandering in Our Wilderness” and “The Path of a Dúnadan”)

Avallónnë. Fifth Age. - So who exactly are we, this arrogant-sounding group of Christians that I liken to the Dúnedain of the Third Age of Middle-earth? What is a Modern Day (Fifth - or Sixth - Age) Dúnadan? And what is this troubling and troublesome task of which I spoke?

As I said before, we are just like every other Christian, only more so. The intensity is especially evident in our perception of things, our values and evaluations, and our temperaments. Of those three, only the latter is something over which we do not have any initial choice, although we do have or should have sufficient subsequent control. And those of differing temperaments can develop latent qualities within themselves, even as a Ranger should seek to broaden his or her own range of skills.

The key factor in a Dúnadan’s perception is that he does not only see a spiritual element in some things of this life but in all things of a person’s experience. There is nothing, in the mind of a Dúnadan, that does not have spiritual importance, influence, or significance. As Maximus said to his soldiers, what we do in this life echoes throughout eternity. That is the perception of a Dúnadan: not just some things are spiritual; all things are spiritual. This was the view of Tolkien, Lewis, Schaeffer, and others throughout the last century, and for many, many others throughout the history of God’s people, whether the Jews of the Old Testament or the Christians of the New.

To live is to be at war, whether one is a believer or not: a spiritual war rages every moment of every day. There is no peace, no truce. Spiritual forces unseen to us engage one another constantly in a cosmic struggle of good versus evil. What we do here, in this life, affects what goes on there. More importantly, what transpires in the spiritual realm affects us, too. The outcome is not in question but the battle continues regardless: a dying grizzly bear is a dangerous thing to be around; a fatally wounded, spiritual Enemy is extremely perilous as long as he draws breath.

It is not necessary for one to be aware of the war for the war to endure. Many are ignorant of it or, in the case of believers, choose to ignore it. In the Third Age levels of awareness ranged from the oblivious hobbits - who not only were unaware of any danger but also ignorant of those who protected them - to the Rangers themselves, who saw the battle daily and dealt with it continually. Between the two extremes were dwarves, the Riders of Rohan, men of Gondor, and the elves. Only the wizards, who were incarnate angels, had more intimate knowledge of and conflict with the forces of evil.

The values of a Ranger or Dúnadan are not any different than those of any other Númenorean, i.e., true Christian: they are only more broadly, thoroughly, and deeply applied. Nothing in life is neutral: things either benefit the kingdom we are sworn to serve or they do not. Not to do the good is to allow the evil to endure and progress. A Dúnadan seeks to view every word, deed, relationship, and activity from an eternal perspective, regardless of what others say or do.

Biblical values are the grid, filter, or worldview through which all believers are commanded to see life. A Dúnadan does it regularly and with an insatiable desire to do it ever-more consistently. Dúnedain fail every day and know the consequences of their failures. We thank God that He can work through us despite our ineptness. He only requires that we be diligent, vigilant, and available.

A Ranger’s temperament is characterized perhaps most of all by a certain indefatigableness, a quiet tenacity, or fierce resolve. You don’t get to quit if you are a Christian; Dúnedain know this and relish it: it is what enables them to keep getting up no matter how many times they are knocked to the ground. If Jesus kept going despite all that He suffered and endured, how can we aspire to anything less? Our burden and fight is nothing compared to His, and He has given us the same Holy Spirit who enabled and strengthened Him throughout His earthly ministry. We have no excuses; a Ranger wants none and offers none.

There is also an air of reluctant courage or determination about a Dúnadan: they speak up even when there is little hope that their words will have a positive effect. They understand their job as a messenger as well as a guardian. Like Jephthah, a Dúnadan desires to resolve things as peacefully as possible; also like Jephthah, however, a Dúnadan will go to war if necessary.

A Dúnadan does not seem to be especially friendly at times but is a loyal and good friend. He or she will stand with you even when they know you are wrong, only to confront you later in love and privacy. Jonathan stood with David even though the son of Jesse was the man who would take the throne that Jonathan might have claimed for his own. And Jonathan stood by his father, Saul, and died with him even though he knew his father had forfeited the kingdom through sin. Jonathan was a Dúnadan of the First Order.

The role model of a Ranger is not Aragorn but Faramir. Aragorn was the crownless one who would be king and his mission was to fight for, claim, and establish his own kingdom. In this quest, Aragorn clearly was a type of Christ. Faramir, however, sought no kingdom: he understood his role as a steward, a lesser figure, one who did all to secure and facilitate the success of the king whom he loved and served. As such, he was a type of a disciple or steward. His mission was to complete his work and to hand the profits and rewards over to the king. He understood that he was owed nothing in return and even that his own life was secondary to the purposes of the king.

The Dúnadan seeks no glory for himself but only an opportunity to bear witness to the king. This leads to a final dimension of a Ranger - that having to do with the troubling and troublesome nature of his or her life - and one that will be developed briefly in the next post.



Namárië.