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<\/a><\/p>\nAnyone who knows me knows I am obsessed with The Lord of the Rings<\/em><\/a>, Middle Earth, and all things Tolkien. I\u2019m such a nerd that I\u2019ve studied the mythopoetic stories found in The Silmarillion<\/em><\/a> and even read through The Unfinished Tales<\/em><\/a>. I use LOTR analogies all throughout my personal writings<\/a> and if I ever get another dog, will assuredly name him Tom Bombadil (to the annoyance of both my wife and daughter). But, c\u2019mon, isn\u2019t that the coolest name for a dog ever?<\/p>\n Anyway, what I love most about Tolkien\u2019s writings when compared to, let\u2019s say, C.S. Lewis\u2019 \u201cNarnia,\u201d is that they aren\u2019t so obvious. They aren\u2019t so cut and dried. The characters are more archetypal than analogous. In \u201cNarnia,\u201d Aslan is Christ. Peter is, well, Peter. Edmund is pretty much Judas. And so on. But in Middle Earth, it\u2019s more complicated. And I like that.<\/p>\n To that end, while I still like Lewis, I feel as if Tolkien offers much more in the way of spiritual truth. At least for me and the way I approach things. So, without further ado, here are 7 spiritual truths we can glean from The Lord of the Rings<\/em>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s easy to miss this fact, given that Elves, Dwarves, Men, and Hobbits battle Orcs, Uruk-hai, Goblins, and the big, bad Sauron all throughout the books. But this is too simplistic. Men, for instance, are on both sides of the war. Men from the East align with Saruman and Sauron. Men from Rohan and Gondor, however, align with Aragorn and Theoden. And even Sauron was, once upon a time, one of the noble Maiar (primordial spirits who helped shape the world), created by Valar. To complicate matters, even Sauron isn\u2019t the first to fall away. He followed Melkor (Morgoth) who himself wasn\u2019t initially created with malice in his heart. It was only after singing a dissonant melody that he fell away. So, that is all just the nerdy way of saying that both Sauron and Morgoth were created \u201cgood.\u201d<\/p>\n This may shock people, but I\u2019ll say it anyway: Gollum may be the hero of the story<\/em>. Think about it. No one can destroy the Ring, not even Frodo. The only way the Ring gets destroyed is because, after Frodo walks away from the precipice, Gollum attacks him and eventually falls to his doom alongside the Ring. This shouldn\u2019t be a surprise, however. Gandalf, being the prophet that he is, reminds Frodo that: \u201cMy heart tells me that he has\u00a0some part to play yet, for good or ill, before the end; and when that comes, the pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many \u2013 yours not least.\u201d This obviously came to pass, for without Gollum, Frodo would have walked back down the side of Mt. Doom, with the Ring on his finger, while the fate of Middle Earth would have been doom and gloom (pardon the pun).<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n One would think that a trilogy of books which includes epic battles between Men and Orcs would be toxic AF. But it\u2019s not. The men of Middle Earth are softies. They sing. They write poetry. They are sentimental. Some of this is missed in the movies, but all throughout the books, Aragorn, Legolas, and the common, working-man (Hobbit, actually) Sam, are all singing songs and reciting sacred poetry. It\u2019s fabulous. Out and out fabulous!<\/p>\n Tolkien wasn\u2019t a huge fan of industrialization. In a letter he once penned<\/a>, he described himself as a Hobbit in all but size, enjoying gardens, trees, and unmechanized farmlands. We see this sacred care for the planet in the battle between the Ents and Saruman. When Saruman attempts to use the powers of industry to lay waste to Fangorn Forest, the Ents fight back and destroy Orthanc. This shouldn\u2019t go unnoticed, especially in the age of extreme climate change.<\/p>\n We aren\u2019t exactly sure what happens to beings of Middle Earth after they die. Some of it is ambiguous, and perhaps different things happen to different beings. There are prophesies, but sometimes even these contradict one another. But we do get a glimpse into some things. Gandalf the Grey, for instance, actually dies after battling the Balrog. He basically falls into nothingness, passing out of time altogether, until he is reincarnated as Gandalf the White. What happens at the end of all things, though? We aren\u2019t sure, but there are prophesies about restoration, and even a song by Tom Bombidil about a completely \u201cmended world.\u201d<\/p>\n Tolkien fought in World War I, so it is no surprise that he doesn\u2019t glamorize war in his writings. In Middle Earth, war is hell. Beloved characters die. But more than that. War is never really used as a way to accomplish a grand goal. Helm\u2019s Deep is attacked and defended. Minas Tirith is attacked and defended. And even the final battle in The Return of the King<\/em> (The Battle of the Morannon) is initiated only to draw out Sauron\u2019s forces so Frodo and Sam could have a clear path to Mt. Doom. In other words, it\u2019s nothing more than a diversion tactic.<\/p>\n The unified races (Elves, Men, and Dwarves) who defeat Sauron\u2019s forces in the end are not unified when the books begin. They are divided. Elves and Dwarves hate each other. Men aren\u2019t to be trusted. Gondor and Rohan are at odds. If this were to stay the norm throughout the Third Age, Middle Earth would have fallen into shadow. However, it doesn\u2019t. Elves come to the aid of Rohan. Rohan rides to aid Gondor. Gimli and Legolas become best of friends and are heroes of sorts, thwarting darkness and aiding the peoples of Middle Earth throughout the entirety of the trilogy. The take away? Celebrate our diversity. Champion our differences and our unique characteristics. And if we do, we will be much better off. This seems especially apropos at an hour like this.<\/p>\n All that said, if you are a Tolkien nerd like I am, please feel free to comment below. Let me know what spiritual truths you see in the books. And if you are new to Middle Earth, welcome. We hope you enjoy the territory. Let\u2019s grab a drink at the Green Dragon sometime.<\/p>\n If you wanna get to know me better, please follow me on social media. I\u2019m pretty active on all platforms:<\/p>\n Facebook<\/a><\/p>\nI. There Aren\u2019t Necessarily Good Guys and Bad Guys<\/h3>\n
II. The Hero of the Story Isn\u2019t Obvious<\/h3>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nIII. Toxic Masculinity Isn\u2019t Championed<\/h3>\n
IV. Middle Earth Is Meant to be Green<\/h3>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nV. Death is Not the End<\/h3>\n
VI. War is Hell<\/h3>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nVII. Strength in Diversity<\/h3>\n
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