This week in 1937, J.R.R. Tolkien published his fantasy novel, The Hobbit.  Most of us have heard of this novel; many of us have read it.  In the story, hobbits are a race of small,l humanlike creatures who value peace, simplicity, and cozy homes. One of the hobbits, Bilbo Baggins, is persuaded to join a band of dwarves in a quest to recover treasure stolen from them by the dragon Smaug.  Along the way, Bilbo finds a magical ring that, when worn, renders the wearer invisible, thus giving him an immense power advantage over others.  But along with the power granted to the wearer, the ring has its own power over the wearer, a power that proves immensely dangerous to the wearer’s very soul.

The story is, of course, the tale of Bilbo’s marturing from a simple seeker of warmth and comfort to a brave and sacrificial fighter for justice and a greater good.  The story is also, however, a story of its time, written as Hitler was on the ascent. It is a cautionary tale addressed to those nations seeking isolationist policies in the shadow of the aggressive fascism of Nazi Germany.  The story challenges us to come to terms with the deeper truths that there is no peace without justice and that peace for only some is, at best, shallow and fleeting.  The story also contends that no matter how overwhelming the situation may appear and no matter how small we may feel is our power, we can do something about it.

Jesus’ earthly ministry was one of justice and peace.  He journeyed to the hard places: places where people didn’t have enough, places where people were cruelly excluded; places of oppression and discord and violence.  In those places, Jesus brought healing.  In those places, Jesus confronted those who held power.  In those places, Jesus gave a vision of God’s Kingdom of peace, where swords were fashioned into plowshares and where lions lay down with lambs. And it is to those places and to those people that Jesus sends all those who claim to follow in the Way of Love.    

Now, we could choose, like simple hobbits, to live our lives in relative warmth and comfort, avoiding much of the unpleasantness that this world dishes out.  We could use the various rings of power and wealth that we have been given to make ourselves invisible and invincible to that which may harm us.  We could make that choice, to burrow into our little holes and to pretend not to see those who are suffering, those who go without, those who are experiencing injustice, those who are subject to conflict and war.

Or, we could make another choice with our lives.  We could choose to align our lives to the cause of beauty and truth.  We could choose to use whatever rings of power we possess in the cause of justice and peace.  We could choose to offer ourselves to the world in service to an adventurous quest for that which is so much bigger and more noble than our own little lives.

The choice is ours.  This day.  Each day.  Every day.  The choice is ours.  The quest for justice and peace is, no doubt, fraught with danger.  But make no mistake… the choice to live our lives in self-made, self-protective little holes, wearing our respective rings of power for only our own purposes… well, that is immensely dangerous as well.  Dangerous to the essence of who God has made us. Dangerous to our very souls.  

May we followers of Jesus choose well.  May we accept the invitation to join in the cause.  May we join the universal band of brave and sacrificial warriors of justice and truth and peace and love.  May we choose well today.  And may we offer freely whatever rings we may have in service to the higher cause of God’s Kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven.

~Father Art