Finding God in the Hobbit

This is a review for both Finding God in The Hobbit by Jim Ware and Walking with Bilbo by Sarah Arthur, as they are closely related and cover the same material in a wonderful way. They are chock-full not only about the spirituality of Bilbo's journey "there and back again," but they also offer much insight into our own journeys, and how what we learn from the hobbit's adventures can be applied to our lives. I highly recommend both of them. One of the most inspiring and applicable things from Finding God, is the author's view of why the Elves in The Hobbit can be so merry: "Like the Good People in Elrond's valley, we live in troubled times. Like them, we dwell under a shadow. We are exiles in enemy territory, hemmed in on every side by darkness and despair. Terrorism and tsunamis, hurricanes and floods, war and senseless suicide bombings - such things have become defining features of the contemporary landscape. That's not to mention the desperate and subtle wickedness that lurks in the deepest regions of every human heart. Can anyone laugh and sing in a world like ours? "The elves of Rivendell say yes. And they say so out of a context of hard-earned experience. More than any other people in Middle-earth, the elves know what it means to fail. They have fallen from grace and tasted the bitter cost of redemption. They realize what it will take to defeat the Shadow and heal the wounds of the world. And yet they are not above singing in the trees. Indeed, they understand that a certain amount of joyful abandon is essential to a life lived in harmony with the truth, however foolish it looks to small and serious-minded folk like Thorin. For to laugh in desperate circumstances and sing in the face of disaster is nothing less than an act of bold and daring faith. It's a sign of salvation to the watching world, evidence of the hope that lies just beyond the fringes of the darkness." This is a lesson that Frodo and Sam also taught very well, when the former laughed on the Stairs of Cirith Ungol and the latter sang in the Tower. The last two sentences of the book have much personal meaning for me for this is what my own journey has been like: "...you will understand that God can and does find us almost anywhere - that He seeks us in the most unlikely places and draws us to Himself even when we're not looking for Him. It's a realization from which there can be no turning back." Walking with Bilbo brings out much of the same truths about Bilbo's journey that can be applied to our own lives. To give two examples of the many ones in the book: Bilbo was chosen to be burglar and Ring-finder, just as we have been set aside by the same Creator for a particular purpose; he has to wrestle with his Baggins side which would rather stay safe and comfortable inside and his Tookish desire for adventure, just as we have to step out of our own comfort zones to fulfill our vocations. I thought of all the parallels between Bilbo's adventures and Fr

As a thirty-year fan (and teacher) of Tolkien's books, I was delighted to find Jim Ware's book of twenty reflections on personal and spiritual themes in "The Hobbit." Ware's tone is informal, light, often humorous, and personal. He is well acquainted with Tolkien's writings and includes an impressive section of endnotes. Each essay contains well-chosen biblical and literary references. If you are not too familiar with the plot of "The Hobbit," you will appreciate the detailed way Ware introduces each reflection. The content, though, is not only for newcomers. His chapter on the eagles of Middle Earth made me stop and say, "Wow!" Anyone teaching Tolkien's fiction should own a copy of this book.