Tragedy

I once spent two days at Stratford-Upon-Avon, the hometown of William Shakespeare, perhaps the world’s greatest author.  I attended a play in the theater there and walked through what was supposedly Shakespeare’s home even though he lived there in the 1600‘s.

Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy, written in 1605, is probably the play “Macbeth“.  The story revolves around a couple, Lord and Lady MacBeth, who decide to murder the King.  He has trouble bringing himself to do the deed but Lady MacBeth, a very evil woman, calls him a coward if he does not take the action.  Shakespeare had little knowledge of psychiatry but was well aware of human nature.  Technology has changed the world but little has changed about human behavior.  We find here a brilliant study of obsessive compulsive behavior.  After the murder, MacBeth had the compulsive neurosis of hearing things.  His wife, Lady MacBeth, kept washing her hands thinking she could rid herself of her participation in the evil act.  Towards the end of the play, after Lady MacBeth’s death, MacBeth consults a doctor for help.  The doctor leaves us with two familiar quotes which we can apply to our lives.  “Life is a walking shadow and is seen no more” and “God have mercy on us all.”

There is more unpleasantness than pleasantness in life.  There is more grief than joy.  The evolutionists have never been able to explain why, from the same human eye, the chemicals in tears of joy are different from those in tears of grief. 

As an observer of mankind, as one who has traveled the world (eight round the world trips, passports stamped in 157 countries at least once, most several times) from the tragedies of human existence, it would seem impossible for anyone, particularly children, to have any laughter in their life.  Amazingly, in the poorest hovels of human existence, you have more smiles and more laughter, particularly from children, than from the most prosperous hostels of human prosperity.  Even in the fetish markets (a fetish market is a place for the purchase of amulets, bones, teeth, animal parts and other voodoo items which are supposed to bring luck) of Togo where the curse of voodoo and survival is a desperate, daily challenge, the children laugh and dance.  The adults smile and greet one another with vigor.  Even though they would consider their lives deprived, (Africa, India, Pakistan), the human psyche has a remarkable ability to adapt. 

There is an inner strength for survival and happiness.  Dwight L. Moody, the great Evangelist, said, “Most Christians walk around like they had just come out of the back end of a hearse.”  Citizens of a prosperous Christian nation of plenty and principles should erase tragedy from their lives and bask in the blessings before us.

One does not have to kill a king or participate in killing of a king to have tragedy in life.  One of the most interesting marvels of animal behavior is the “Judas goat” at sheep slaughter houses.  A goat will be used to lead sheep into the slaughter pen and for some strange reason, probably because in scripture human beings are compared to sheep, the sheep will follow the goat into the slaughter pen.  Then the goat leaves through an escape door and the sheep are ready for slaughter.  The Judas goat is then free to lead more sheep into the slaughter pen.  It does not take a very high IQ to see the comparison with human beings. 

Even though our blessed Lord washed his feet at the last supper, even he called him “friend” when he came into the garden to betray him, the Disciple Judas had such a love for money (20 pieces of silver given to him by church people) that he would betray his best friend, even though within a few minutes , he saw him pick up an ear and restore it to a soldiers head. For 2000 years, we have seen human beings either for “fame or fortune”, follow a Judas.

The best example of good people doing bad things, when, many times they know better, is the matter of voting in this democratic republic.  It is absolutely beyond my comprehension that any American citizen, black/white, rich/poor, educated or uneducated, who has ever known the smile of a small child, the love expressed between a man and woman, could go to a voting booth and vote for a political party or candidate who believes in the slaughter of the most innocent of human life, children, or the marriage of people of the same sex. Surely, people who vote for such have lost their mind and care nothing about the certain wrath of God. This, in the 21st century, is a tragedy which Shakespeare could well describe.

The tragedy of modern living, is the emphasis on money and the greed for money and what money buys.  If you have a house to live in, more than one change of clothes, food in the refrigerator or pantry, you live better then 90% of the worlds population.  If you have some money in the bank and an automobile, you live better then 92% of the worlds population.  Only when you have been their and seen the poverty of most of the world can you realize the tragedy of these figures.  I get very ill and have little patience with the young people of this country who have no idea how wealthy they are. 

Once, my sister left her three children in my house while she was attending a meeting at a nearby university. (2 boys, now lawyers, 1 daughter, teacher).  For lunch, I helped make them a sandwich, they threw an absolute “fit” because I did not have a “name Brand” mayonnaise.  I told her, on her return, “for people who were reared as we were, in absolute poverty, I am amazed that your children behave in such a way“.  Of course, I realize that they are wealthy, a privileged home, she said, “It is my business if I spoil these children”, and, so it is.  But, I think it is a real tragedy if young people are reared isolated from the economic despair of the real world.  The one good thing about a recession or depression, people are forced to face the realities of their life and the living of others. 

One does not know what lies down life’s pathway for him or her.  If anyone had told me as a child, I would spend most of my life as a blind person, (I am a totally blind 100% disabled service connected veteran), I would not have been prepared for the future or  prepared for the tragedies of life.  No disabled person wants to be disabled, we all desire to be normal.  But when it happens, and it can happen , to anyone, realize, that like death, it is part of life.  The Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer hanged by the Nazi’s in WWII said, “the Christian is born to die”.  The Christian, can face anything, disability or death. 

On Broadway, I witnessed Thornton Wilder’s great play, “Our Town”.  The play opens, with people, who have died, sitting and talking in a cemetery.  They are discussing their past lives and, if they would return if given the chance.   At the end of our life, a just God would give us what we have loved most.  For some it will be money, some food, some sinful pleasures, some, will certainly want to sit in front of a TV for eternity.  The tragedy of life is that most do not know what is important or valuable until it is too late. 

“Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.” (Psalms 63:3)