(See also “Being a Dúnadan” and “Wandering in Our Wilderness”)

Avallónnë. Fifth Age. - A Dúnadan’s life is troubling and troublesome, at once troubled and troubling. It seems that the two are inseparable.

The conflict arises because the path, mission, or life’s work of a Dúnadan is troublesome or troubling to others; this, in turn makes it troubled and troubling for the Dúnadan. Since it is the work of a Dúnadan to guard others even when they don’t feel the need to be guarded, and to correct them even when they have asked for no correction, life becomes complicated for all involved.

Most commonly, however, a Dúnadan is troubled and troubling by just being who he or she is. Because they see things differently, having a different perspective and evaluative grid, they don’t seem to fit in and never blend in for long. They are the ones who have a different, “deeper” or “too spiritual” view of things at Bible studies. Without trying, they pose a threat to cherished traditions by asking if there is a biblical warrant or allowance for them. Once again, they disturb the comfortable without even meaning to just by being themselves: they are spiritual iconoclasts. It is not what they intend to do but a result of how they see things, and they genuinely believe that what they are saying will benefit those to whom they’re speaking. Many, if not most, Dúnedain are not intentionally trying to upset anyone; in fact, they are often surprised - or hurt - that someone has taken offense or is angry.

Every Dúnadan’s purpose is determined by what God has revealed in Scripture. Knowing that infallibility is a quality of the Bible and not the one reading the Bible, a Ranger nevertheless speaks with a settled yet tentative confidence. His function is similar to that of the inner ear of the body: it is to maintain balance and to alert other parts of the body to do what is necessary to continue balancing itself. The other parts of the body do not, on an individual basis, always welcome this correction: it is sometimes met with anger and rejection.

So it is with the role of the Dúnadan: his mission is to keep the body balanced, not to point out to others that they are wrong just to prove his own imagined or perceived superiority. This is not always how we come across, unfortunately, nor is it how others respond to us most of the time. And so the conflict begins. Or continues.

The result is that others look at the Dúnadan with a suspicion bordering on contempt, at times, and the Dúnadan is isolated or marginalized as much as possible. This is not at all what the Ranger wants: like everyone else, he or she feels a need to be appreciated and accepted. But a Ranger will not purchase popularity at the cost of faithfulness. And so the Dúnedain are frequently perceived as aloof, arrogant troublemakers. And the individual Ranger feels frustrated and sorrowful - not because of the isolation and rejection but due to the harm he fears will come to others.

It is not always a happy existence; hence, the closeness and strong friendships that develop between two Rangers whenever their paths might cross.

Some have written of late about the inherent conflict between pastors and prophets (prophet being defined in these writings as one who confronts and rebukes the church when it strays, i.e., a Ranger). Such a dichotomy is spurious and perhaps an attempt to justify divisions and discord in the church. Exegetical gymnastics might find a basis for a distinction but the bulk of Scripture does not support it. If a pastor is not correcting and rebuking his flock as needed, then he is not pastoring, no matter what the nameplate on his office door declares. The pastor is responsible to comfort the disturbed and to disturb the comfortable. You don’t get to do one without the other: it is a marriage of love and truth. Not only can a pastor and a Dúnadan complement one another effectively, they can be and often are the same person.

The proof? Well, how did Jesus treat His disciples? Was He a comforter or a confronter? A pastor or a prophet? Obviously, he was both. We are called to no less.

Modern Day Dúnedain, as hinted above, stand in the line of the prophets of the Old and New Testaments. They are not proclaiming new truth or foretelling the future like Isaiah or Malachi; they are not performing miracles or slipping into ecstatic states or trances like Elijah or Nathan. A Dúnadan is a prophet in the sense that she is one who speaks forth the word of God and the truth of God to the people of God. A priest, you will remember, speaks to God on behalf of the people; a prophet speaks to the people on behalf of God.

The gift or role - ultimately, the responsibility - of being a Dúnadan is no different than that which accompanies any of the other spiritual gifts: it is for the building up of the body. All gifts are body gifts and, as such, are meant for the benefit of other members of the body rather than for ourselves. (”One another” is the theme of the New Testament church, not “me, me, me.”) So a Dúnadan is no more - or less - special and necessary to the church than an evangelist or one who practices hospitality. The Dúnedain are stewards of a gift and are charged with being faithful, as is everyone else.

If those of us who are Dúnedain are different at all, it is because of this: we “get it.” If we didn’t “get it” we couldn’t be Rangers and wouldn’t have the gift. By “getting it” I mean two things: first, we “get” it not because we are special or superior in any way but because it comes with the gift. We are not special, I repeat, but are only gifted in a particular way. We are not “better than” simply because we “get it.”

The “it” of “getting it” is the incredible importance of this life. It is the awareness of the spiritual battle, the eternal impact of what we and others do in this life, the haunting fear of a failing church or a falling brother in Christ. “It” is understanding that this truth has to be lived: it is the air we are to breathe, the water that refreshes us, and the food that sustains us. This is the normal Christian life: to be “carried along” or compelled to say or do what we say and do. “It” is to walk in the Spirit, abide in Christ, live by the Spirit, have the word of Christ dwell richly in us, be conformed to the image of Christ, walk even as He walked. It is for all believers, all Númenoreans, not for a select few.

Because we “get it” we don’t really care that much about knowledge for the sake of knowledge ; we especially don’t care about systems of theology that have answers for everything. We know that much of life - of the Christian life - is about learning to live with and ask the right questions. (God is not predictable no matter what your doctrine may demand: He is free and will do as He freely chooses to do. He will not violate His own character and His ways are clearly not our ways.) A Dúnadan has to live by faith because he recognizes the severity of his own limitations and the utter limitlessness of God.

We “get it,” too, because we are more interested in behavior than thinking. Love is the ultimate motivation and the compass by which we - all Christians - are called to live. It is a true love, i.e., a love defined by the truth and character of God - and it is the greatest good because it glorifies God by manifesting His essence. And we “get it” because we know we will never arrive and that we are probably doing less with what we have than others are doing with what they have.

Finally, we “get it” most of all because of the eternal perspective that we didn’t ask for but are compelled to live by. We are very much strangers and aliens in this life, residents of another kingdom. At times a Dúnadan may be guilty of neglecting the “lesser” things of life but this is a mistake: God determines what is important and significant, not us. Dúnedain are intensely involved with this world even as a firefighter is involved in a blaze: it’s not his house that is burning but he will risk his life to save it. We are charged with being faithful in a stewardship that God has determined, not the one we desire or like the most. God has said that this world matters.

But the eternal worldview is paramount. It guides our every step - although we stumble and misstep frequently - and provides us with the direction we implore others to follow. We are often ignored, but that does not change the job description of a Dúnadan in the least. We are called to faithful stewardship and answer to the One who died for us. Like everyone else, we hope to hear “Well done, good and faithful servant . . .” when we behold Christ face-to-face.



Namárië.