The Courage of Quite Small People
Bob Dees
Director, LU Institute for Military Resilience
©2015 Resilience Consulting LLC
For those of you not familiar with Joseph Loconte’s A Hobbit A Wardrobe and A Great War, let
me orient you briefly and recommend your own reading of this book which holds great value for
warriors in any walk of life, particularly those in military uniform. In short, this insightful dual
biography recounts how the traumatic World War I experiences of two of history’s great
Christian writers, C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia, et al.) and J.R.R. Tolkien (The Lord of
the Rings, et al.), impacted their spiritual and emotional lives and shaped the themes embedded
in their great works. I will provide several blogs reflecting on different themes drawn from
Loconte’s insightful writings. This one will focus on “The Courage of Quite Small People,” the
title of a section in one of Loconte’s chapters which discusses the nobility of individual warriors
and their demonstration of individual resilience.
I have always admired the American soldier (in my Army experience), and by extension all
members of the U.S. military, and their families. In particular, I honor our military’s ‘blue
collar’ workers, men and women who do their duty despite not being in a position of rank or
authority to know if their sacrifices even matter. While one might question the wisdom of
Pickett’s charge at Gettysburg, or the sanity of World War I charges by tens of thousands of
Allied infantrymen across ‘no man’s land’ – yet the nobility, courage, and selfless service of our
individual military members is without question. Tolkien and so many others were
understandably disillusioned by the seemingly purposeless slaughter that was World War I (with
6,046 average deaths per day for over four years); yet, Tolkien was careful never to demean the
significance of the soldier at his post:
“I have always been impressed that we are here, surviving, because of the indomitable
courage of quite small people against impossible odds. The hobbits were made small,
he explained, to show up, in creatures of very small physical power, the amazing and
unexpected heroism of ordinary men at a pinch.”1
Diving deeper into Tolkien’s transference of wartime perceptions into his writing, author
Loconte writes: “…the character of the hobbit was a reflection of the ordinary soldier,
steadfast in his duties while suffering in the dreary ‘hole in the ground,’ the front-line trench.”2
Speaking specifically of the hobbit Sam Gamgee’s quest against insurmountable odds, Tolkien in
Lord of the Rings writes:
“But even as hope died in Sam, or seemed to die, it was turned to a new strength.
Sam’s plain hobbit-face grew stern, almost grim, as the will hardened in him, and he
felt through all his limbs a thrill, as if he was turning into some creature of stone and steel
that neither despair nor weariness nor endless barren miles could subdue.”3
Perhaps you agree with me that Sam Gamgee represents the ordinariness and the nobility that is
within each of us. In essence, he became a true resilient warrior just as each of us are challenged
to be resilient warriors, regardless of profession, gender, age, or status in life. John 16:33b
(NASB) states: “In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the
world.” Sometimes, for all of us, hope seems to die; yet, when we come to the end of ourselves,
we come to “Christ in you, the HOPE of glory” (Colossians 1:27).
The message is simple, yet profound. We are all foot soldiers, small creatures, in the galactic
struggles that rage about us. We seldom can know the degree to which our individual actions
affect outcomes, seemingly wasted in the magnitude of the struggle. Most of the time we have to
walk by faith that our actions do matter, our lives do matter. We have to walk by faith that our
small, timid steps into the darkness epitomize the great nobility and courage that our Lord would
desire of us.
From the pages of Resilient Leaders: “FAITH is the bridge which leads from FEAR to
COURAGE.” The hobbits reached courage, despite being “quite small people.”
So can we – through our faith in the person of Jesus. To Him Be All The Glory!
1
Loconte, Joseph. A Hobbit A Wardrobe And A Great War, Nashville, TN: Nelson Books, 2015, page 76.
Ibid, page 75.
3
Ibid.
4
Dees, Robert F. Resilient Leaders, San Diego, CA: Creative Team Publishers, 2013, page 90.
2
Put on your thinking cap.
Tell us what you think about this latest Resilience Blog!
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Respectfully in Christ,
Bob
Bob Dees
LU Institute for Military Resilience
www.LUOnline.com/IMR
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The next Institute for Military Resilience (IMR) Webinar will be
Honor to Whom Honor is Due
Major General Robert F. Dees (U.S. Army Retired)
Associate Vice President for Military Outreach
8 PM on Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Join us for this very special webinar, hosted by Major General Robert F.
Dees (U.S. Army Retired), as we celebrate and honor service members,
veterans, and military families through the sharing of personal testimonials
and stories from our Liberty University military family. Stay tuned on
www.Liberty.edu/IMRWebinars for more information on how to honor your
loved one during this webinar. Please also be sure to RSVP to confirm your
attendance. This is one event you will not want to miss!
See you there for a powerful time of unique insights into
Honor to Whom Honor is Due
Register at www.Liberty.edu/IMRWebinars