It’s easy to confuse the two.
Our natural antennae are hyper-sensitive to the perceived wrongs around us and to us. When I see someone who exhibits a kind demeanor, although I don’t particularly like to admit it, I’m prone to the passing thought that perhaps they’re a bit naive; something of a pushover. Rarely do I associate kindness with power, at least not naturally. But I should.
Tolkein, in his book The Two Towers, illustrates strength in kindness in an amazingly eloquent passage within a scene that never made it onto the big screen. If you’ve seen the movie, you remember Sam and Frodo, led by Gollum, at the gates of Mordor, unable to enter. Gollum then proposes another way in. What’s not in the movie is the interchange between Frodo and Gollum. And it’s a shame because it’s a reflection of the best and the worst in us all.
Attempting to dissuade Frodo from trying to enter Mordor through the gates, he begs to the point of asking Frodo for the ring of power, betraying the intent of his heart. Realizing that it is hopeless to enter in through the gates, Frodo elects (again) to trust Gollum to take them through the secret entrance. “But I warn you Smeagol, you are in danger.”
Misinterpreting Frodo’s faith, Gollum deceitfully promises to help. Frodo, however, sees through Gollum’s empty words and gets to the heart of the matter. “I did not mean the danger that we all share,” said Frodo. “I mean a danger to yourself alone.” Rightly, Frodo sees that Gollum’s lust for the ring of power is slowly eating away his commitment to help Frodo, and that unchecked it will lead to his doom. “Do not let that thought grow in you!” Frodo says of his desire for the ring. “You will never get it back. But the desire of it may betray you to a bitter end.”
Meanwhile Sam, who is watching this exchange, thinks (as Tolkein eloquently writes), “It had always been a notion of [Sam’s] that the kindness of dear Mr. Frodo was of such a high degree that it must imply a fair measure of blindness.
Therein is a nugget of gold for those who want it. Think about grace. We receive a measure of kindness. Yet, in the face of it, our deceitful hearts often miss the point altogether. We have an opportunity to be elevated to the noble, but if we understand our natures rightly we must see that we pose a danger to ourselves. We are our own worst ememy.
God gives and yet we still take. I know, we like to identify with Frodo, the hesitant hero. We don’t much care for our resemblance to Gollum. Even if it’s more accurate.