I had a fascinating discussion last night about the society in which these books are set...there are many of us, at least in my circle of friends, who would choose Middle-earth over our world. Middle-earth isn't without its problems, for sure, but we talked about how different it would be to live in a world where the Enemy was a visible entity. Sauron does not take physical human form, but the location of his fortress is known, and his servants are known by the darkness of their bodies and souls. It is so satisfying to actually ride out to battle and fight evil...for the free peoples of Middle-earth this has to be their strategy. As Aragorn tells Theoden, "Open war is upon you, whether you would risk it or not." Sitting at home will only bring death; men must draw swords and go out to face the Enemy, and in doing so they have to be willing to risk everything. The battle we fight is much more subtle, much more wearying, against an enemy we cannot see, and often our work is to pray and wait for God to act...sometimes, it seems as though we spend our lives waiting while war rages around us.