As I have asserted multiple times before on this blog, Tolkien’s stories were never meant to be allegorical. Tolkien himself greatly disliked allegory, and hated the way people were always trying to find it in his works. However, the legends of Middle-Earth contain many valuable and true themes which we can learn from. In this series, we’ll take a look at a few of those.
A main theme of both the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings is journeying. The hobbits go on big adventures far, far away from home. Sometimes the road is smooth and straight, but often it’s difficult, and there are challenges and obstacles to overcome. Along the way, they often come to places of refreshment that strengthen them for difficulties, places like Rivendell, Lothlórien, and Tom Bombadil’s house. The hobbits often wish they could stay in these places, but they have to press on.
What are they striving towards? Well, in Frodo and Sam’s case, their goal was to destroy the ring, and in Bilbo’s it was to somehow help the dwarves defeat Smaug. Ultimately though, they wanted everything to be over so that they could go back home. Home is what motivated them, even though the memory of it sometimes grew dim.
David de Bruyn says “the Bible’s most used metaphor for the Christian life [is] a walk, or journey, or way.” (Read his article about Pilgrim’s Progress here) We, as Christians, can identify with the Hobbits. We too are on a journey far from our home in Heaven. We are “sojourners and pilgrims.” (1 Peter 2:11) There are often difficulties along the way, but we must overcome them and journey on. There are times of refreshment and strengthening, but those cannot last forever – we must take to the road again.
However, our journey will not last forever either. A time will come when we will reach our Destination and have rest. Unlike the hobbits in the Lord of the Rings, we won’t find it in disarray and ruin – it will be far more wonderful than the Shire was at its best. Even the glories of Valinor are nothing compared to those of Heaven, where the presence of God Himself is. And this is not a fairy tale; it is a glorious reality which if we are truly in Christ, we shall see one day. It will not be long – our lives on this earth are fleeting. Just a little while longer, and we shall have glory which all the toils of our journey here below cannot compare with.
Sometimes the thought of this grows dim to us, though, and our trials seem to much to bear. The hobbits in their journey often found strength to keep going from their companions. We have a Friend who is always with us in this journey. He is more faithful than Sam and wiser than Gandalf. If we depend on Him, He will carry us through difficulty as Sam carried Frodo up Mount Doom. Let us take comfort in this thought, and strive on towards our eternal Home.