(Credit to Mike Jones-Inspiring philosophy. He did most of the research. I simplified it by writing and sprinkling my own commentary, for lovers of reading.)
Role of divine providence
If you NOTICED, there’s actually no saviour in the LOTR; no one is able to defeat evil; no one actually delivers a decisive blow to become the hero, not Gandalf, nor Aragon whose force was greatly diminished after the battle of pelinor, which he won. Their sacrificial love for Frodo aids the cause by creating a diversion. Frodo is not even able to resist temptation and cast the ring into the fire. In the end, Golen manages to snatch the ring from Frodo and accidentally falls into the fire, and middle earth saved.
Peter Kreeft “the ring is so powerful that no creature can overcome it. Similarly Christianity teaches that sin is so powerful that no creature can overcome it”
What actually defeats Sauron is Divine providence and Tolkien says this in his letters, Frodo was just an instrument of divine providence. The real hero is God Himself. Golem was the unwilling instrument but he manages to serve this purpose only because Frodo remember’s Gandalf’s words and took to heart his plea for mercy and patience. (Thomas Hibbs).
So what is Tolkien teaching?
Ultimately, Tolkien is teaching that we shouldn’t worry about the evil in the world as God has already designed that it will be triumphed over but we still need to do our part by acting in love when called to. Middle Earth doesn’t need saviors, it needs servants. The hero seat is left only to God. People who know they are too weak to be the hero but still play a part out of love and duty to defeat evil. This is how we are to live.
Please return for the last part; part 3.
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What role has sacrificial love and/or divine providence played in your life? share your story