“The Shadow that bred them can only mock, it cannot make: not real new things of its own. I don’t think it gave life to the orcs, it only ruined them and twisted them; and if they are to live at all, they have to live like other living creatures.” – J.R.R. Tolkien
J.R.R. Tolkien spent a lifetime creating a mythos with far more detail than most writers ever imagine. An Oxford professor, he approached his writing as if it were a scholarly pursuit. Yet it was still entertaining and captivating, full of themes and message (though he never intentionally preached, his beliefs informed his work). That’s why it has endured for so long (The Hobbit was originally published in 1937).
Tolkien drew on many influences in creating Middle-Earth. Most notably his Christian worldview, from which one of his most important themes came:
Evil exists.
Not only that, he witnessed the worst men could do while serving in World War I, which undoubtedly colored his writing. In fact, he began creating his world while in the trenches. Throughout his books, he made it clear evil was always there, even when not obvious, waiting for a time to explode or conquer. When it did, it must be stopped.
It’s funny how Lord of the Rings, in many ways a war novel, saw a resurgence during the 1960s. Though I doubt, because of his own experiences, Tolkien would ever promote rushing into war. He also knew we can’t pretend evil doesn’t exist or that it may just go away.
It always comes back.
In time of tragedy, people always ask why? That is the normal reaction and indeed there are many causes for terrible events. People look for targets to blame. That’s the easy way out. Thinking deeply about actual causes is difficult. Admitting evil exists scares us.
Given one of the cornerstones of most religions is evil exists, one wonders why so many pretend it doesn’t. We want to be safe, secure and happy, but we don’t want to be vigilant. We’ve been told evil isn’t real and we, through law and government, can stamp it all out. We downplay talk of evil in our religions, so not to scare people away. We have made religion into another helpful fad to get us through life. Then something horrible happens. We are forced back into reality.
Sadly, most who are not directly effected by the tragedy, soon forget and go back to their lives. Evil grows and prospers and is ignored.
Tolkien believed in it. He saw it in war and never forgot it.
Times of disaster and tragedy are the times we need to protect our rights the most, because in the end, if we don’t, far greater calamities will occur. Just look to history.
Some think “doing something about guns” will solve these problems. Timothy McVeigh didn’t use guns to massacre people. Nor did the terrorists on 9/11. Evil wants us to think it is just that simple, ban this or that. It wants us to look the wrong way.
Ask the right questions. If we don’t, evil will continue to win.
“Evil labours with vast power and perpetual success – in vain: preparing always only the soil for unexpected good to sprout in.” – J.R.R. Tolkien
Darrick Dean 