Lord of the Vocations, Part V: The Grey Pilgrim

[Denethor:] ‘..and the rule of Gondor, my lord, is mine and no other man’s, unless the king should come again.’
‘Unless the king should come again?’ said Gandalf. ‘Well, my lord Steward, it is your task to keep some kingdom still against that event, which few now look to see. In that task you shall have all the aid that you are pleased to ask for. But I will say this: the rule of no realm is mine, neither of Gondor nor any other, great or small. But all worthy things that are in peril as the world now stands, those are my care. And for my part, I shall not wholly fail of my task, though Gondor should perish, if anything passes through this night that can still grow fair or bear fruit and flower again in days to come. For I also am a steward. Did you not know?’
-from “Minas Tirith,” The Return of the King

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Perhaps no character in The Lord of the Rings is as sure and unwavering in their calling as Gandalf. He is so intricately woven into the tale that it would be practically impossible to unravel all the threads-- so this will have to be a rather general overview! He is called the Grey Pilgrim, a wanderer in many lands. He is called by many names by the different races of Middle-Earth, and is known by these different peoples in many different ways. To the hobbits, he is one of the attractions at the party, a master of fireworks and magic tricks (and, in his distant past, a roving troublemaker that would lead the occasional hobbit on a wild adventure). To the dwarves, he is a fellow adventurer who helped them to unseat a dragon and recover their gold. To the men of Rohan and Gondor, he is one who brings troubling counsels and bad news– news that the storm is nigh and that deeds must be done. The Ents know him as the only wizard who really cares about trees. The Elves, perhaps, have the closest grasp on who Gandalf truly is, though even they don’t fully understand his purposes. So we might well wonder with Pippin: What was Gandalf? When did he come into the world, and when would he leave it?

In short, what we know about the history of Gandalf is that he is one of the Istari (or wizards) who was sent from the far West to Middle Earth, to aid the inhabitants of Middle-Earth against their enemy. Ontologically the Istari seem to be Maiar, who are lesser spirits than the Valar, the great spirits in charge of Middle Earth. Sauron was also a Maia, as was the Balrog in Moria that Gandalf defeated. Interestingly, of the five wizards that were sent to Middle Earth, Gandalf is the only one who seems to have fulfilled his calling. His “cousin” Radagast the Brown is almost non-existent in the stories, concerning himself exclusively with birds and animals and ultimately disappearing off the face of the map. From other writings, we know of two “blue” wizards who went into the East and also disappeared. And Saruman, of course, becomes a traitor, ensnared by Sauron. One is reminded of C.S. Lewis’ warnings about demons: The two opposite errors to fall into concerning them are to disbelieve their existence, or to take an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. The hobbit Ted Sandyman (and others) were utter skeptics of the outside world. Saruman delved too deep into the enemy’s counsels and was overthrown by the power of the Ring.

Some of the wiser characters in the story come to understand Gandalf’s calling. As Faramir says in The Two Towers: ‘This Mithrandir was, I now guess, more than a lore-master: a great mover of the deeds that are done in our time’ (from “The Window on the West”). Especially memorable is Aragorn’s analysis of Gandalf as he leads the Company through Moria:

To Gandalf the far-off memories of a journey long before were now of little help, but even in the gloom and despite all windings of the road he knew whither he wished to go, and he did not falter, as long as there was a path that led towards his goal.
‘Do not be afraid!’ said Aragorn... ‘Do not be afraid! I have been with him on many a journey, if never on one so dark; and there are tales of Rivendell of greater deeds of his than any that I have seen. He will not go astray– if there is any path to find. He has led us here against our fears, but he will lead us out again, at whatever cost to himself.’
–from “A Journey in the Dark,” The Fellowship of the Ring

It is no wonder that Sam mentions that there is something about Faramir that reminds him of Gandalf and wizards, and that Pippin exclaims that Gandalf and Aragorn are so much alike that they must be related. Faramir puts this comparison down to the fact that they are discerning the air of Numenor, the West from whence came the Istari and the high kings of men. Perhaps this is also worth mentioning here:

Then to the wonder of many Aragorn did not put the crown upon his head, but gave it back to Faramir, and said: ‘By the labour and valour of many I have come into my inheritance. In token of this I would have the Ring-bearer bring the crown to me, and let Mithrandir set it upon my head, if he will; for he has been the mover of all that has been accomplished, and this is his victory.’ –from “The Steward and the King,” The Return of the King

Gandalf is the keeper of one of the Three Elven-rings, the Ring of Fire, with which he is to kindle the hearts of Middle-Earth’s inhabitants and spur them on to great deeds. This he does tirelessly as he roams throughout the many lands, neither claiming lordship over any nor demanding his rights. The Silmarillion speaks of one Olorin [one of the names of Gandalf] who learned pity and sympathy for people under one of the great Vala. This person most likely was Gandalf, and you can see this understanding at work in his treatment of Gollum and other major characters. In his great and weighty calling, Gandalf is a good example of becoming all things to all people, in order that he might save some. He also reminds us that we are "passing through," as it were, in this life with all of its varied jobs and responsibilities, and are called to "do the deed at hand" without getting tied down to those things that would prevent us from fulfilling our calling.

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[Theoden:] 'Now, Gandalf, you said that you had counsel to give, if I would hear it. What is your counsel?'
'You have yourself already taken it,' answered Gandalf. 'To put your trust in Eomer, rather than in a man of crooked mind. To cast aside regret and fear. To do the deed at hand.' (from "The King of the Golden Hall," The Two Towers.)