It is surprising how few Christians read the Bible. The percentage is smaller than you would think. Of those, it is a safe bet that most only read the New Testament.

There is some logic to that. The existence of Christianity depends on, is derived from, what is in those books and letters. The Old Testament – the Jewish Bible – feels distant, not only historically, but in terms of faith and culture as well.

So it is often neglected. The stories, the laws, the poetry, the prophecy.

But it shouldn’t be. We need that in our lives and faith. We need those stories as reminders, both good and bad. For reminders give us place, give us purpose – they give us a means to evaluate the worth of our world.

At the end of Tolkien’s tale, Frodo encourages Sam, his friend and companion, saying:

You will… keep alive the memory of the age that is gone, so that people will remember the Great Danger and so love their beloved land all the more. And that will keep you as busy and as happy as anyone can be, as long as your part of the Story goes on.

Good stories – ones that tell us of our best selves, of the consequences of our worst selves, and of all that roots us in place and time – teach us. They teach us how to love the good and about how much is at stake. They give life weight.

And that weight, in a sense, anchors each other part of life in place. And so anchored, we can hope to be “as happy as anyone can be, as long as [our] part in the story goes on.”