What Tolkien got wrong about the Hobbits!

Definitely the Rings-Trilogy mirrors the spiritual world and Tolkien wanted to touch upon our awareness of the behind-the-scenes action in our world. To put it ahead of everything: One of the ?mistakes’ in the Lord of the Rings is that the darkness is portrayed way too powerful. Because if you do certain things, the darkness has to flee! But this is about the hobbits, not about the Orks. Ughhh!

?Man, what a great presentation of the Englishman.“

I don't drink coffee, I take tea, my dear. I like my toast done on one side.

– Sting, Englishman in New York

When I first watched one of the Lord of the Rings movies and thought about the hobbits I thought: ?Man, what a great presentation of the Englishman.“ Back then I was a full-time gardener and my heroes were the top United Kingdom landscapers and gardeners. There are plenty of those. Obsessed with details to the utmost perfection – that is what and how they are; you could maybe even say: unlike any other craft in the world. And then there is the millions of Englishmen or women who take pride in their backdoor gardens.

One thing you understand when you ever have had a garden is that it will keep you busy the entire year. If you are obsessed with your garden like a hobbit, then even winter doesn’t give you a break, because you are planning all the changes that you are making in the next season.

And those big feet! If you have feet like that your key skill is standing. And remain standing. But it also stands for being made for long walks, or long journeys. And therefore: adventures! In German there is a saying: "Auf gro?em Fu? leben – Living on big feet." And it basically means that a person has become prideful. I would describe pride like this: It is the condition when (1) you think you are in control but at the same time (2) you have become blind to what is going on behind the scenes of your life.

This is exactly the problem Tolkien describes in the hobbits. Although they would describe themselves as humble and "down to earth" as you can be. But pride in the long run is a killer–because it makes you blind to what is going on behind the scenes. And it attracts your full attention to your obsession, be it a garden or your hobbit house-castle, or anything. Not good, if there are things going on behind the scenes.

What is your favorite thing to be obsessed with? What captures your attention?

So I could see that the hobbits in middle earth are Tolkien’s portrait of his fellow country men and women. Until when I thought later: Well, it‘s actually a good portrait of any human being. Because the English have their gardens and every other culture has their other things. What is your favorite thing to be obsessed with? What captures your attention? So I realized: Maybe I am also fitting this portrait of humankind with little size, big feet and a deep within obsession with tranquility– may it be through gardens or anything else. And if you ever encountered a real gardener, one who is truly obsessed, then you know: Don’t mess with the (underlying) order of the garden! Even it everything looks natural, you most certainly will overlook a hidden buxus seedling. (Right, Margret?)

But in fact the Lord of the Rings is about a supernatural reality with a truly evil side to it surrounding the little guys, who can be very courageous if they dare to. The thing is that there is so much more possible when the ?hobbit‘ truly connects with the blueprint, and that is what is written in the books of life over each and everyone of us. How do you connect? Check with God!

The second thing is that the hobbits would have missed the entire scenario that was forming over them, had not a seer (one who sees) appeared on the scene. The one who told them, that they had to stop what they are doing and get on an adventure. And only one was ready to take the challenge – doesn’t that ring bells with anyone?

If you are focused on your garden and the order of your hobbit home you cannot see what is going to happen. Because you don’t look to where things are happening, right?

Gandalf knew with whom the hobbits would have to cooperate, so that what they would bring to the table would be the piece of the puzzle that would bring success in the end.

So what if Gandalf had not showed up to tell them what he saw? Darkness in the form of ugly creatures would have swallowed the helpless hobbits. So Gandalf had a plan: he knew with whom the hobbits would have to cooperate, so that what they would bring to the table would be the piece of the puzzle that would bring success in the end.

Like with any good sports team there are role players and then are the ones who can handle the ?clutch moments‘ because they have extreme skills and are not limited by fear. And you need the role players to get the team to the clutch moments, without them you loose the game before there is any clutch moment. Right?

Written into your spiritual DNA is the potential is that you can overcome any obstacle, if you leave the choice of obstacles to Jesus.

The truth is, that any one of us ?hobbits’ can be ?clutch‘ if he or she works together with the ??????????? Lord. ?Clutch moments‘ are written in your book of life, and written into your spiritual DNA is the potential that you can overcome any obstacle, if you leave the choice of obstacles to ??????????? Jesus. (Well, that‘s a tough one for the doers, makers and the like.)

You don’t need an expert or someone who can ?see‘ through the circumstances (even though it is a good thing to have advisors) to walk your walk because with ??????? God in your heart, you can do all things.

Immense luck means that you have everything together: there is you, then your courage (which is not all the time at a reasonable level to solve the bigger kind of problems), a wizard who can see, elves, who have eternity and therefore special knowledge, some dwarfs, who have even more courage than anybody else, an extreme will-stability (which in fact makes them blockheads, but that’s not a nice word), and also know how to get to places, but most important your combat gear.

Tolkien really makes it a point to limit the main hobbit’s combat gear to a bare minimum. It is just courage in the top corner of what’s possible and it is a ring, so you can go through the door into the supernatural; the ring being a symbol of a covenant with a force that opens up windows of opportunity.

?Takes more than combat gear to make a man.“

– Sting, Englishman in New York

Now transfer from middle earth to the 2020s! What is a man‘s combat gear when the enemy is a virus? Tests? Proper behavior? A functioning immune system? Can everybody be your ?enemy‘ now these days, because we all have become ?super-spreaders‘?

The truth is: When two or three Hobbits come together in the name of ??????? ??????????? Jesus, they will be so powerful, that the darkness has to flee.

The truth is: When two or three Hobbits come together in the name of ??????? ??????????? Jesus, they will be so powerful, that the darkness has to flee.

Think of that, and put it into the Rings–movie; of course it changes the entire story. You don’t need the luck anymore, which makes a Hollywood movie viewable. you only need the one and only God! Does it make the story all boring now?

“Two or three hobbits that make some serious stuff, and the Orks flee!”

Well, it’s all of a sudden a whole new story: Two or three hobbits that make some serious stuff, and the Orks flee! Hard to imagine, but that‘s exactly what the truth is:

Think of that and you have true Christianity. But true Christianity is often mixed up with Churchianity, which is something else.

Fearless hobbits, who know what their position is and who know with whom to cooperate. That‘s it. –And that Tolkien got wrong about the hobbits. (In my humble opinion…)

So, transfer that into these days. With whom are you cooperating? Where do you find your inner strength? Where do you find solutions to these new kind of problems?

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In the first letter of the apostle John, chapter 5 verse 4 it says: ?You see, every child of God overcomes the world, for our faith is the victorious power that triumphs over the world.“

In James, chapter 4, verse 7 it says: ?So then, surrender to God. Stand up to the devil and resist him and he will turn and run away from you.“

And in the gospel of Mathew in chapter 18, verse 20 ??????????? Jesus says: ?For wherever two or three come together in honor of my name, I am right there with them!”