The Bible, J.R.R. Tolkien And The Meaning Of LifeНамуна

Simplicity is a Fine thing 

In a world that is obsessed with itself - live the dream, dress to kill, travel the world, and make it big - Hobbits can teach us a lot more about the good life. There is nothing inherently wrong with any of those but to imagine that it is ‘the good life’ might be misleading. Cameron Russel a top model says, “If you ever think, ‘If I had thinner thighs and shinier hair, wouldn’t I be happier,’ you just need to meet a group of models. They have the thinnest thighs and the shiniest hair and the coolest clothes and they are the most physically insecure women, probably, on the planet.”

Rather, consider the life of a Hobbit. They love peace and quiet and good tilled earth. They are shy of the ‘Big folk’. They were not very impressive to look at and were people of very little importance. They handled grief, and bad weather really well. They did not fight wars amongst themselves. They enjoyed the company of each other and family ties were strong. 

In I Thessalonians 4:11 and I Timothy 6:6, 11-12 says, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody…. But godliness with contentment is great gain. Now… pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness… and have a good confession before many witnesses.” 

Remember it was people who lived like this that changed the world - no fanfare but a frightful lot! It is probable that the ordinary human is impacting the world a great deal more than the famous men and women put together. Even today you and I ordinary Christians can change the course of this world.

Tolkien once remarked that he has, “…always been impressed that we're here surviving because of the indomitable courage of quite small people against impossible odds: jungles, volcanoes, wild beasts... they struggle on, almost blindly in a way.” 

Take for instance when the great task of getting rid of the Ring of power came up; the only creature capable of resisting its power was a simple Hobbit, Frodo. A simple life might actually prepare us to take up unexpected adventures or challenges as and when they come up.

Isaiah 53:1-3 and Luke 9:58 is a description of Jesus. Nothing attractive yet he changed the world. That same power is in us so we can change the world too.