Service & Suffering over Self-Exaltation

In Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, the characters of Boromir and Frodo illustrate well the dichotomy between exaltation and service. 

As a mighty warrior and heir-apparent to be the leader his nation, Boromir believes he can use the One Ring to lead his people to victory and defeat the cosmic-level evil threatening Middle Earth. He believes this in spite of continually being told by those who know the Ring better than he does that the Ring will corrupt the hearts of even the best-intentioned. But his pride (and the influence of the Ring) blind him, even to…