The long defeat

The Long Defeat is a phrase denoting an apparently impossible but noble battle. The phrase was used by J. R. R. Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings to refer to the long struggle against the evil forces of Sauron. Specifically, Lady Galadriel, recollecting her summoning of the White Council and the ensuing long struggle, says to the hobbit Frodo, "Through the ages of the world we have fought the long defeat." Tolkien viewed all of human history since the fall of man to be a long defeat, but with an expectation for a final victory over evil.

Dr. Paul Farmer has worked for years among the poorest of the poor in Haiti. In Tracy Kidder’s biography of Farmer’s life, Mountains Beyond Mountains, Kidder tells of a time when they took a daylong hike to check in on a patient. Walking together, Kidder asks about the cost- and time-effectiveness of actions like this–Farmer, one of the most talented doctors in the nation, taking a whole day to visit one patient himself. Farmer stops walking and turns to Kidder. “I have fought my whole life a long defeat … We want to be on the winning team, but at the risk of turning our backs on the losers, no, it’s not worth it. So I fight the long defeat.”

In light of Farmer’s work and life, “the long defeat” is not a pessimistic outlook, but rather a challenge to our culture’s success-driven worldview. The difference between a cost-effective business model and the long defeat is that the conviction lies at the heart of the action, not the success of the action itself. Farmer is basically saying that we can’t just fight when we think we will win. There are many losing battles worth investing in, simply because winning is not the point.

Luke Skywalker and his ragamuffin team of Jedis fight the Dark Side, not because they think will win, but because not to fight is to give in to darkness.

The above words were all plagiarized from articles I found on the web as I have been searching for language to describe my burning inside. There are days (quite often these days) when I feel like I have been handed the ring and the burden of responsibility that comes with it... but I like the shire; I like being able to pay my bills; I like not seeing all there is to see in the way of human suffering and exploitation; I like to have Christmas gatherings with treats and presents without the concern of what is happening in Malawi or the Phillipines or wherever. Wait, I don't like the shire... I love the shire. At that is the crux of the issue. The Bible teaches us that we will serve whatever we love and that we cannot serve two masters. If I love the shire more than the responsibility of the ring, then I will serve the shire and not fulfill my burden. But serving the burden is a daunting task. What shall I do? My decisions do not just impact me - they could have tremendous impact on my family and friends; but what impact does my decision have on the "others" in society?

Questions need to be asked. What truly is the "ring" I've been given? What truly is the task/responsibility/burden that comes with the ring?

There are many battles to be fought and not all with accompanying glory. But... the battle is raging whether we like it or not; and troops are needed. It seems many of the battles will end in defeat... but does that mean we do not fight them? This is the essence of the long defeat.