Choose Mercy Over Violence

I know I did this yesterday but I have another insight from the Lord of the Rings. The creature Gollum is one of the most miserable characters ever created in all of fiction, despised and hated both by the forces of evil and the forces of good. And yet, without Gollum, the quest would have failed and the Dark Lord would have triumphed. There are many times throughout the books where Bilbo or Frodo or Sam had it in their power to destroy this horrible creature, but they chose not to. Even at the very end, almost at the top of Mount Doom, Sam, who has mistrusted and hated Gollum more than anyone else, has a moment where he can strike him down, but pity and compassion stay his hand, even after Gollum nearly strangles him to death. Even though a lot of the memorable scenes in the Lord of the Rings have to do with the great battles and displays of strength and power, it is not through force or violence that good eventually triumphs over evil. At the end of all things, it was the pity and compassion of those who chose love over hate and empathy over cold-blooded calculation, and forgiveness over vengeance that lead to evil's ultimate downfall. Those who fought against the Enemy protected Gollum time and time again so that he could be there at Mount Doom to be the one to plunge the Ring into the fires from whence it was forged. We can't know how God advances His Plan and what unlikely people He will use to bring about the Salvation of His children. But we can choose mercy over violence and trust that even those we hate and despise will be instrumental in bringing about the triumph of the Good.