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Ask
Bob
Q: What does 'The Lord of the Rings' say
to us about God?
 he
book ‘The Lord of the Rings’ was ”a fundamentally religious
and Christian work” according to its author Tolkien. Does
it express Christian truths in a way we can pass on to our
friends or colleagues – to those who may love Tolkien’s
work but wouldn’t go to church if you paid them?
The
book’s (and the film’s) attitude toward heroism is deeply
Christian. The true hero of the story is not the cleverest,
or strongest, or wisest or most powerful - in fact, he’s
quite the opposite. Small, helpless, almost insignificant,
Frodo Baggins has all the heroic qualities of Ronnie Corbett;
yet his willingness to go to his almost certain death so
that the Ring may be destroyed, and the earth saved, makes
him the most important member of the team. ‘God chose the
foolish things of the world to shame the wise; [He] chose
the weak things of the world to shame the strong’ (1 Corinthians
1.27).
Let’s
look at the Ring itself. The power available to anyone who
uses the Ring is portrayed – in the book and the film -
as seductive and addictive. Previous owners of the Ring,
even good-hearted ones like Bilbo Baggins, are shown to
be almost enslaved by it, while its promise of power tempts
even the most high-minded members of the fellowship.
The
corrupting power of the Ring clearly represents evil and
sin – it’s an image of what happens when a human being gives
in to desires that seem harmless at first and end up consuming
him. Moreover, Tolkien’s Ring is not neutral; a good-hearted
person cannot use it in order to achieve good. It ultimately
corrupts anyone who seeks to control it.
This
is an important point, and opposes the viewpoint expressed
in most other works of fantasy. In these, the Ring (or Sword,
or Cloak) of power is neutral; an evil person can use it
for evil, but a good person can also use it for good if
their ‘heart is strong enough’. Tolkien says ‘No’ – such
a source of earthly power will always ultimately take control
of the person using it, no matter how strong their heart
is. This reflects Christian theology, which states that
we cannot overcome our own tendency to sin by our own efforts.
Our only hope is to be rescued from it.
 nd
it’s this perspective that most clearly highlights Tolkien’s
Christian viewpoint. All the other characters are involved
in great sweeping battles against the enemy - yet all their
efforts will come to nothing if Frodo fails in his quest.
The Fellowship of the Ring can fight evil all it wants,
but ultimately its - and the earth’s - only hope lies in
being delivered from evil by the successful fulfillment
of one person’s task. It’s a definition of heroism that
Tolkien took straight from the Bible.
Two
thousand years ago, a carpenter’s son - conceived out of
wedlock in a tiny country under the occupation of one of
the most powerful empires the world had then seen - was
born in a cave used to keep animals. He grew up to become
a charismatic speaker who drew huge crowds of people to
hear what he had to say. He had the chance to use his popularity
to lead an uprising against the occupying forces and cast
off the yoke of oppression beneath which his fellow countrymen
suffered. Instead, he allowed himself to be arrested, unfairly
tried, tortured and then to suffer perhaps the most horrific
form of execution ever practiced. Why?
To
give us the only possible escape route from the forces of
evil that seek to over-run and enslave this world. The evil
that continually tells us that our highest priority is to
look after our own concerns and comforts before anyone else’s.
The evil that has blinded us into believing that if we ’do
our best’, then we can earn God’s favour. Like the Ring
of Power, it tempts us with promises of power (or freedom,
or sex, or happiness), but ends up ruling us. Moreover,
our bravest, most noble and selfless actions can’t buy us
the mercy and forgiveness we all desperately need. God has
every right to abandon us as punishment for rebelling against
His rule over us.
Yet
in His love for us, God’s son came to earth and poured His
life out for us. When Jesus died on the cross, he took the
punishment we deserve for rejecting God. When he rose from
the dead, he destroyed the power that sin has over us. The
way back to the loving Father is now open by Jesus’ sacrifice.
God’s grace, peace and forgiveness is there for the asking.
Will you ask Him for it?
Agree?
Disagree? Want to ask another question? Contact me at askbob@kingsnews.org.uk
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