Just before Christmas, Lord of the Rings hit the big screen with the first of three movies to be released in successive years. The movies are a cinematic presentation of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy books. Tolkien (1892-1973), a Catholic, was an English professor at Oxford and a close friend of C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, Chronicles of Narnia). Using absorbing detail, Tolkien spun an elaborate tale of the world of Middle-earth and how a most ordinary little hobbit did great and extraordinary things to defeat the evil kingdom of Sauron.

Tolkien's imaginative work begins in The Hobbit, a prelude to The Lord of the Rings trilogy. There we learn of one hobbit Bilbo Baggins who loves his quiet and conventional life. Tolkien tells us

"The Bagginses had lived in the neighbourhood of The Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them very respectable, not only because most of them were rich, but also because they never had adventures or did anything unexpected: you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him. This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, and found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected" (The Hobbit, p. 2).

What follows is an account of how Bilbo Baggins is thrust into the world of adventure as he joins a group of dwarves on a quest for treasure. The story of Bilbo introduces us to an intriguing world of orcs, elves, trolls and dragons. The escapades continue in The Lord of the Rings when occasion demands that Frodo Baggins (the nephew of Bilbo) leave his beloved and threatened homeland to bury a ring deep within the evil kingdom of Sauron. This act of valor and sacrifice is an attempt at unmaking the destructive forces that hover over Middle-earth. Through it all, there are battles to be fought against the seductions of power, the temptations to retreat in the face of evil and the presence of malicious enemies. There are virtues to be tested – the courage of Frodo, the fierce loyalty of Samwise Ganges, the strong wisdom of Gandalf the Grey. There are friendships to be gained, hardships to be endured and treasures to be won.

As Tolkien told his fantasy tale from within the contours of a Christian worldview, it should come as no surprise that Tolkien's stories echo the Great Story. As Christians, you and I are on a daring adventure. We are living out a life of faith as servants of the One, True Lord of the universe. We face our tests – how to raise a family, how to be true and pure in our relationships, how to overcome evil with good. We have our setbacks in those moments of timidity, spitefulness, thoughtlessness and irresponsibility. And yet, unlikely though it seems, we have our successes. In the company of Christ, ordinary little hobbits like you and I become fierce warriors of the king.

The Word of God tells us "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world" (I John 4:4). Through Christ we overcome. Through Christ we gain the victor's crown.