|
Finding God in The Lord of the Rings... "The hobbit Frodo and his companions are chosen to journey into the heart of an evil land to break the power of evil--an image of Christ's redemption of the world." "As a Christian, Tolkien saw the adventure of our lives as a tale full of meaning and purpose, composed by the grandest Author of all." Lurking Behind Every Character... "First, 'The Lord of the Rings' is actually a story of stories--a vast web of histories, legends, tales and songs in which every character has a crucial role to play. As a Christian, Tolkien understood that we've been in a tale, too. Like the adventure of his hobbits, he saw the adventure of our lives as part of a story that begins 'once upon a time' and moves toward its eventual 'ever after' -- a tale full of meaning and purpose, composed by the grandest Author of all." "Next, Gollum, the pitiful, wretched creature who discovered the great Ring -- his 'Precious' -- kept it for many years in dark places under the earth. So long did he possess and cherish the sinister talisman that he has become the possessed. That's because Tolkien's Ring is an image of the unwholesome, perverting power of evil and self-serving sin -- a progressive, growing, encroaching power that starts small and ends big." "Middle-earth is full of battles and conflicts -- images of the spiritual war in which we are engaged as Christians. We're not talking generic good vs. evil here. The evil in Tolkien's universe is personal. It takes shape as an enemy who relentlessly hounds and pursues his prey with ill intent." "That's not the end of the story, of course. Because at its deepest level, 'The Lord of the Rings' is also a tale about the sovereignty of God. The God whose love and power are so great that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him. The God who uses even the enemy's wicked designs to bring about the ultimate fulfillment of His perfect plan. Within that plan, even Gollum has an indispensable part to play in the saving of Middle-earth." "Finally, a close look at the members of 'The Fellowship of the Ring' reveals several likely epic heroes: mysterious, swashbuckling Aragorn; keen-sighted, swift-footed Legolas; hard-fisted Gimli; strong, dauntless Boromir; wise and aged Gandalf. Each is a hero in his own way, of course. And yet not one of them is chosen to carry the perilous Ring into the heart of evil Mordor. Instead, it's a hobbit, a boyish-looking halfling who bears the burden of the world to its destination." "This idea, that God uses small hands to accomplish great deeds, could almost be called the heart and soul of Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy. It's Moses and Pharaoh, David and Goliath, Gideon and the Midianites all over again. But the mission of the hobbits Frodo and Sam isn't just your typical underdog story. It's something much more. In a way, it's a desperately needed reminder that God's ways are not our ways, that when evil confronts us with overwhelming odds on its side, the answer is not to fight fire with fire but to look for deliverance in unexpected places. Hope and salvation, Tolkien seems to say, often arise in small, unnoticed corners. Like a hobbit-hole in the Shire. Or a manger in a Palestinian stable." by Jim Ware Resource:
Book - Finding God in the Lord of the Rings
by Jim Ware and Kurt Bruner
For a Christian-based review of the film version of 'The Fellowship of the Ring,' visit: www.pluggedinmag.com
|
|||
|
Allah or Jesus / Americans / Better Health / Bookstore / DaVinci Code / Endtimes Gift of Life / God One Road / Intelligent Design / Islam Revealed / Israel / Jews & Arabs Lord of the Rings / Mark of the Beast 666 / Righteousness / Home / Links My Other Mini Sites: Free Ocean Clipart / Patriotic
|
