Why the Halfling?
[This post is part one in an ongoing series called Keeping the Darkness at Bay. I will be posting parts two and three in the next couple weeks, and I may also add new parts sporadically in the months to come.]
If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you know I love the idea of living life as the hero of your own story. This series is going to be some of my thoughts and reflections on how to actually live that out in real life.
This first post will explain the title for this series, but even more than that, answer the question, “Why the halfling?” and by extension, “Why you? Why me? What role does a regular person play in ‘being a hero’ or ‘fighting evil’?”
I’ll answer these questions with the only logical response: a collection of Lord of the Rings references.
If you know me, you also know I love the Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit. And you’ll also know that I love the Lord of the Rings Extended Edition film trilogy because it’s the best, most ambitious, most prolific story ever told on screen. By association, I also love The Hobbit movies—the almost-as-fun, not prolific bundle of mixed reviews and heated discussions. My detailed thoughts on the Hobbit Trilogy can be discussed in its own post (Don’t get me started now!).
For the sake of our current discussion, my focus is on a particular scene in the first movie, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. My favorite of the three, this movie launches Bilbo Baggins on his adventure with Gandalf, Thorin Oakenshield, and twelve other dwarves seeking to reclaim their homeland and the gold within…gold guarded by the fearsome dragon Smaug. Our heroes cross paths with mountain trolls, wolves, goblins, and orcs as they head eastward towards the Lonely Mountain.
In an early part of the journey, the group stays in the elvish city Rivendell, and Gandalf gets to talk to his old pals Elrond and Galadriel, members of the White Council. In a particularly illuminating heart-to-heart conversation, Lady Galadriel asks Gandalf our titular question:
“Mithrandir, why the halfling?”
Why, indeed? Logically speaking, Bilbo never should’ve been considered for this journey. Hobbits are peaceful people, literal creatures of habit. They appreciate the mundane, thrive on routine, and hate the unexpected.
Of course, we must keep in mind that the best heroes aren’t initially qualified, and they learn what they need to along the way. Even so, nobody would ever think to bring a hobbit on such a journey. Yes, Bilbo learns a lot along the way, learns more about himself and what he’s capable of, and truly rises to the occasion.
But Gandalf chose Bilbo.
Nobody believed in Bilbo, including Bilbo himself. Galadriel’s question is more that just curiosity; it’s a perplexing detail the dwarves puzzled over since they found his house at the journey’s outset.
“Mithrandir, why the halfling?”
Gandalf answers, “I don't know. Saruman believes that it is only great power that can hold evil in check. But that is not what I have found. I've found it is the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keeps the darkness at bay. Simple acts of kindness and love. Why Bilbo Baggins? Perhaps it is because I am afraid, and he gives me courage.”
Gandalf the Grey, in his wizardly wisdom, recognizes truth about life nobody else seems to understand. There is nobility in the mundane. Even the smallest bit of goodness is potent against evil, like a candle flickering in the darkness.
Your everyday acts of kindness are not insignificant. They are acts of war. Like Hobbits, we may enjoy everyday life. But life isn’t perfect. Hobbits, though their lives seem idyllic and easy, still see their share of struggle. As Frodo son of Drogo can attest, the Shire isn’t free from tragedy. Yet they face morality with a special kind of stubbornness that says, “I’m going to enjoy life anyway. I’m going to tend my garden, love my family, and appreciate beauty, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”
Yes, hobbits aren’t perfect—just look at the Sackville-Bagginses. But their determination and discipline in this near-utopian countryside was the training ground for the unlikeliest of heroes.
Bilbo had that discipline in the honor of his word. He made a promise to Thorin, and he refused to give up on the journey, even when all the dwarves would’ve encouraged him to turn back. Bilbo’s value of life intensified his sense of purpose and initiative. He’d seen beauty, and he’d known home.
Bilbo knew what he was fighting for. Do you?
What’s your Shire? The Shire is to be cherished. The Shire puts the quest into perspective. The Shire is why the expedition makes sense.
Even if you’re not on a quest, you have a Shire of your own. Your everyday actions either fight darkness or aid in its advance. You never know what Gandalf-like person may be watching. Who will you give courage to? Who will you help?
How will you keep the darkness at bay?
