Some of you probably already know that John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was a born-again Christian. Others of you may also know that he led C.S. Lewis to the Lord. Hey, maybe a few of you know that he was one of the most upstanding Christian writers of his time!
The Lord of the Rings is a three book epic set in the land of Middle-Earth, where Hobbits, Men, Elves, and Dwarves do dwell. It is also home to evil creatures like Orcs, Balrogs, Wargs, and the Nine Riders known as the Nazgul.
The first book, The Fellowship of the Ring, begins in the land of Hobbits - the Shire. The Shire is a peaceful green community, not unlike the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. It is sparsly populated and mainly agricultural. It's inhabitants are little people that do not often reach beyond four feet in height. They are a quiet people, not bothering those outside their borders. After his uncle's disappearance, due to the the One Ring, Frodo Baggins inherits this item and, after some time, journeys with his friends (and annoyances) Samwise Gamgee, Pippin Took, and Merry Brandybuck, to an old Elven city called Rivendell. They reach their destination after many troubles, only to leave again, this time toward Mordor. Nine is their number now as Boromir of Gondor, Gandalf the Grey, Gimil the Dwarf, Legolas Greenleaf the Elf, and Strider the Ranger join them. After losing two of their companions, Frodo and Sam leave for Mordor while the rest go to Rohan and Gondor to rescue those nations.
The next two books, titled The Two Towers and The Return of the King, trace their adventures to the success of their mission: the One Ring is destroyed. But where does our faith come into this wonderful story?