Mord IDDLE ARTH Finding CHRIST inL Eings the
of the By Rev. Bruce Keseman
All photographs ©2003 New Line Productions, Inc.
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I read The Lord of the Rings trilogy at least three times before I ever realized it had any connection to Christianity. I just enjoyed the books.
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J.R.R.Tolkien said that he didn’t originally intend for his writings to reflect his faith. But when the Holy Spirit makes you a Christian, allusions to Christ are bound to slip in. And Tolkien was a Christian, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by all of the Biblical images in his works. The Lord of the Rings shows us a fallen world that needs to be saved. Most of us identify even more with the hobbits than with the humans in Tolkien’s tales. Maybe that’s because hobbits are as frail as we are. Most of the hobbits in the Shire aren’t even aware that an enemy is assaulting them. If you have the same experience as me, a lot of your friends ignore Satan. Some of them refuse to believe he even exists. As Tolkien shows, that’s dangerous! But even the hobbits who recognize the power of Sauron have no ability to resist him. We Christians can’t stand on our own against Satan’s schemes. What temptations are especially enticing for you? Where would you be without a Savior? And when men, elves, dwarves, and hobbits struggle with all their might against the evil of Middle Earth, rewards aren’t the result. More struggles and constant suffering are the result. That seems a lot like our Christian lives under the cross. Planet Earth needs a Savior. God provides one. He is Jesus. Middle Earth needs a savior. Tolkien provides one. Or maybe Tolkien provides three. I’m
And when men, elves, dwarves, and hobbits struggle with all their might against evil of Middle Earth, rewards aren’t the result. More struggles and constant suffering are the result. That seems a lot like our Christian lives under the cross.
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