#imwayr

It’s Monday once again! Hope everyone had a nice weekend! I ate outside at a restaurant in New York City this weekend for the first time since the pandemic started and it was so nice to do such a normal activity.

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What does The Hobbit have to do with being a Christian? It’s a well-known fact that Tolkien’s faith was an integral part of his entire life. His writing, his marriage, his friendships, his work all centered around his deep Catholic faith.

He said himself, “I am, in fact, a hobbit in all but size.”

What does that mean? We might find the answer by looking at Tolkien’s purpose in writing his fantasy series, The Lord of the Rings and its prequel The Hobbit. At first glance, the fantasy world that Tolkien created might not have much to do with the business of being a Christian.

Tolkien said, “The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision.”

I’ve seen the movies and fell in love with the visual stories before diving into the books. I just finished The Hobbit, the book. Tolkien’s writing style was not at all what I expected, but I grew to love his whimsical way of putting things.

In the beginning, the wizard Gandalf, who seems wiser than most, sees the little Hobbit Bilbo Baggins smoking a pipe outside his hobbit-hole in the late morning. Gandalf says, “I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it's very difficult to find anyone.”

I came to realize that the entire series--the adventuring, the hardships, the gold, the temptations--a large metaphor for being a Christian. Bilbo, comfortable in his life in the hobbit-hole, responds to Gandalf’s request, “I should think so — in these parts! We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!”

As many know, the little hobbit eventually gave in to his curiosity and found himself on the wildest “adventure” of his life. Such is the case for many people who find themselves on the winding road of being a person of faith.

Bilbo had moments of boldness: “Go back?" he thought. "No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!" So up he got, and trotted along with his little sword held in front of him and one hand feeling the wall, and his heart all of a patter and a pitter.”

He had moments of weakness and exhaustion. “Must we go any further?” asked Bilbo. “My toes are all bruised and bent, and my legs ache, and my stomach is wagging like an empty sack.” // “A bit further,” said Gandalf.

Bilbo had moments of true friendship when he was surrounded by the dwarves and Gandalf in their adventurous fellowship, and he had moments in true darkness when he had no one but himself.

When Tolkien said he was a hobbit, maybe he was referring to all of these things: the timidity of beginning on the journey of Catholicism, the invigorating moments of clarity, the temptations along the way, and the bruised toes along the path. 

Tolkien was artful in his representation of a Christian’s life in The Hobbit. The adventure of being faithful has never been guaranteed to be easy. Like Bilbo, we have moments where we would like to curl into a ball, sick with starvation and exhaustion. But we also have moments of strength and bravery, where we are able to help others and go on boldly in the name of God. 

One quote from Gandalf represents the whole affair of the journey of a Christian fairly well: “There are no safe paths in this part of the world. Remember you are over the Edge of the Wild now, and for all sorts of fun wherever you go.”

Despite the hardships along the path, nothing compares with the pure joy and happiness that a Christian experiences on earth. With God, we can enjoy his blessings for what they are, and hope for a future better than a room full of gold.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet and share what you have been and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit, comment, and add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book…

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet and share what you have been and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit, comment, and add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book…

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet and share what you have been and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit, comment, and add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book…

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet and share what you have been and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit, comment, and add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book…

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet and share what you have been and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit, comment, and add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book…