Valuing "Home"

We recently went as a family to see the latest Hobbit Movie: The Battle of Five Armies. We've seen them all and have enjoyed the action and storyline. Before I go further let me warn that there are SPOILERS that follow in this blog post.  If you have not seen the movie and plan to, read no further. Come back tomorrow and we'll discuss something else.  I don't want to ruin the movie for you.

The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogies are excellent books written by J.R.R. Tolkien and are essentially stories about the battle of good versus evil.  Tolkien and C.S. Lewis were great friends and in fact, Tolkien helped C.S. Lewis convert to Christianity.  C.S. Lewis went on to write "The Chronicles of Narnia," "The Screwtape Letters," and "Mere Christianity," among other great literary works. Those two were extremely gifted writers that could tell a story like few others can.

SPOILERS FOLLOW!  

One of the things I want to talk about today involves an exchange between Thorin Oakenshield and Bilbo at the end of the movie.  Earlier in the movie Thorin has been consumed with overwhelming greed upon seeing the vast stores of gold and other riches within the mountain.  Bilbo Baggins makes a hard decision and seemingly betrays Thorin in order to save Thorin from himself.  Upon becoming aware of the betrayal, Thorin is incensed and calls Bilbo a traitor and a thief. Ultimately, however, Thorin finally sees that Bilbo's motives were pure and that he was a true friend.

Finally, after an intense battle, Thorin has been mortally wounded in combat and as he lay dying on the ice, he looks up to Bilbo, the Hobbit, and says the following words:

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Thorin Oakenshield: [Last words] "Go back to your armchair, Master Baggins. And your books. Plant your tree. If everybody valued home like you did, the world would be a merry place." 

It was a powerful segment of the movie and the quote was touching and meaningful, even here 'beyond Middle Earth,"  You see, Thorin was a valiant warrior and a good man.  But when faced with untold riches, it had a disastrous effect on him and his only intent was to hoard it all for himself, even to the point of selling out his friends.  Bilbo wanted to try to save Thorin from the 'gold madness.'

In contrast, Bilbo Baggins didn't allow himself to be tempted by the great wealth. Bilbo valued something greater than gold.  Bilbo, during their adventure, had picked up an acorn that he wished to take back home the the Shire and plant so that when it grew into a tree, he could remember their great adventures and friendships made along the way.

In today's dog-eat-dog, consumerist, me-first world, it is very easy to become enamored with all the material items, the 'gold.'  We can allow ourselves to get so covetous of those with more material possessions than us, or those with more successful careers, or luxurious lifestyles or any number of things that distract us. To try to "keep up with the Joneses," we get caught up in the rat-race and truly lose sight of things that are the most important - things like Faith and Family and just enjoying a simple, honest life surrounded by the ones you love.  The pursuit of riches can bring much unhappiness if we don't have a Bilbo to come into our lives and refocus us on the things in life that really matters - like valuing home.

I'm a home-body.  I enjoy going around and seeing sights and traveling, but I tell you what, I like being at home, in my own bed, on my own land, feeling the dirt I own under my feet and being around those I hold dear.  I'm not going to lie, I'm certainly not above the sin of coveting other people's possessions, in fact, I catch myself comparing and belly-aching more often than I'd like to admit.  But I want to be more like Bilbo. I like to plant trees and other plants, and read books, make memories, and remember good times, and I value home.  I want to continue to pursue meaningful things because I think deep down we know that 'all that glitters, isn't gold.'  Truly valuing home is a great place to start.

Your home is your castle.  It doesn't need to be a mansion.  It might be a simple shack.  But it should be your haven, a place of safety, protection, and shelter from the world.  It should also be a safe place where family members support you and build you up and come to your defense.  A home should be filled with love, unconditional love offered by those who see your faults and struggles and love you anyway.  Having a home that you value is a blessing.  A blessing indeed.

I think Thorin was right when he said to Bilbo, "If everyone valued home like you did, the world would be a merry place."  Yes, Home is a good place.  I think Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz summed it up best when she said, "There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home..."