J.R.R. Tolkien "Lord of the Rings" has relevance today as tells a story that is universal and can still take hope from. For the past century, we have seen evil throughout the world from Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin to the present war of Terror. The story deals with a single plot; the little hobbit Frodo Baggins must destroy the one ring that will allow evil Sauron to rule all of Middle Earth. The ring represent the ultimate power in Middle Earth and it corrupts all that holds it. Frodo is forced to destroy the ring that is the ultimate power and even he almost succumbs to its power. In the first two books, there are those who wish for the ring to be used for good but this is impossible. When Boromir attempts to steal the ring from Frodo, this merely reinforces the reality that the ring corrupts all- even though those who want to use the ring to defend all that is good.

Forced by circumstance to be the messenger, there are times that Frodo's burden is overwhelming. Frodo is the everyman who by circumstance is forced to be push to limits that he does not believe he had. But then is it any different from the farm boys who fought on Normandy, the young marine fighting in Fallujah or the passengers on flight 93 on September 11 who attempted to fight their captors? These were common folks who found the courage to rise to a different level. With Allies such as Aragon, Gandalf, Gimili, Legolas and Borornir, Frodo begins his journey with his best friend Sam. Sauron, Saruman and Smeagol will contest Frodo's journey.

There are two things at work, destiny and free will. Tolkien believed that both destiny and free will play a role in human's daily life. Every person can choose his or her own destiny and it is the indomitable spirit of man that allows humanity to survive- even against great odds. In the entire trilogy, there are heroes and anti-heroes with man fighting nature as well as his human enemies.
There is no Christian references for this presuppose a land before Christ but there is no doubt that a Christian message can be derive for Tolkien was a traditional conservative Catholic. Tolkien was also a student of various ancient culture and basically found legends of these cultures useful in designing Middle Earth.

In Middle Earth, not everyone initially wants any part of the coming war but there is no way that the ravages of war can be avoided. The good wizard Gandalf, Aragorn and others are left to lead and form the alliances. Frodo himself tells Gandalf that he wished that he had not been born into such time as this. The old prophet-wizard Gandalf counsels Frodo to turn away from such futile and self-defeating conjecture, because no man can choose the times in which he lives. Says Gandalf, "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."