This is the Hour of the Shire
By William Langley This is the hour of the Shire-folk, when they arise from their quiet fields to shake the towers and counsels of the Great. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men (Romans 1:25). The council of Elrond is good counsel for us all. The darkness of dark times casts a shadow of despair on those who try to penetrate the future. The momentum of a stone rolling down a hill is impossible to halt, so too is the degradation of our society. This is how the wise among us see, but maybe we need look for the foolishness of God and His folly. Where are the small things that will shake the towers? The sane commentators of our situation tend to predict ruin. In a few short decades, there has been a great slip down the proverbial slope, and we have descended further than the old among us could have ever guessed or predicted. This lends an air of pessimism to predictions of the future since there are no signs of slowing. The wise can
