conflict; peace; Tolkien Archives

Once Upon A Time, Long, Long Ago

Once upon a time, in a land far away, a King awoke and surveyed his kingdom from the highest tower of his palace. He saw fields with green crops beginning to bear fruit. He saw a land of peace where neighbours cared for neighbours and disputes were settled with little struggle. He saw sheep and…

The Music of the Ainur

J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion is widely recognized as a great writer. He was also a faithful Catholic whose theology appears in his writings in poetic ways. His description of the way evil came into the world, as seen in the opening chapter of The Silmarillion is a work of art…

Forgiveness

At a time when racism, violence, and suffering seem to be greater than ever, these words of Fyodor Dostoyevsky are very appropriate. “I believe like a child that suffering will be healed and made up for, that all the humiliating absurdity of human contradictions will vanish like a pitiful mirage, like the despicable fabrication…

Rest in the Grace of the World

I have been sensing a tendency toward fear and depression both in my own soul and in the words of those around me. I am considering these words by Wendell Berry and what they might mean to all of us at this point in history. “When despair for the world grows in me and I…

Of Hobbits and Books

Peter Jackson’s movies have done a great service in making stories come to life on the big screen. One of his greatest accomplishments has been his ability to make The Hobbit (also known as The Hobbit, Or There and Back Again) by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (J.R.R. Tolkien) accessible to all. He has created a…

Tolkien on Judging Others

J.R.R. Tolkien reminds us that we must not be hasty in judgment in this line from The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It is a good reminder to all of us. “Deserves it! I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then…

Uncertainty and Hope

1 David P. Goldman, in an article entitled “Christianity and Myth: Why There’s No Jewish “Narnia’” says that he thinks J.R.R. Tolkien is a better writer than C.S. Lewis. Goldman goes on to say, Whereas C S Lewis tries to make us comfortable in what we already believe by dressing up the story as a…

Good Morning!

“Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit “When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is…

The Road Goes Ever On and On

The Road goes ever on and onDown from the door where it began.Now far ahead the Road has gone,And I must follow, if I can,Pursuing it with eager feet,Until it joins some larger wayWhere many paths and errands meet.And whither then? I cannot say.– J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring At 54 years of…

Wars of the World

Spending a week in the museums of Washington, DC, one is continually confronted with the many wars that have been and continue to be fought on this planet. I have found myself asking many questions about war. When must a country go to war? Is there ever a good reason to defend ourselves or defend…