The great wisdom literature found in all cultures provides us rich stories of those who chose to step into the water – especially to step into the deep water, not the shallows. Each of these folks had a sense that in so stepping he or she would accept the insecurity that comes with such a step. Why did they choose to take the step? Some for adventure, some out of obedience – to a call for example, some because they were curious, some because they were committed to a cause or a faith tradition or a philosophical tradition.
Some took the step because they believed that in doing so they could gain control, or they could achieve security through power, status, land, or money. Some did so in order to protect themselves from others, or from old age, or from the threats that others presented – especially the unknown threats of the ‘stranger.’
The first group knew they were choosing insecurity and the second believed that they could become secure as a result of their choices. The first were rooted in reality and the second were rooted in fear and illusion.
Last night I revisited the Faust myth. I spent some time with Marlowe’s version of the story and with Goethe’s version. Both have, for many years, provided me much material upon which to reflect. This is a story that many of us know. There was a great learned man, Faust. He longed, as St. Paul put it to ‘understand all mysteries and knowledge.’ His desire for knowledge was his undoing. His dark side was stronger than his light. Like many of us he was rooted in a favorite fear – Faust’s was a fear of not knowing. He also refused to accept the limits of his condition – that is, the limits inherent in his being a human being. He wanted to be as God, knowing all. And he sold his soul to the devil only to discover that he could not have what he really wanted.
The Faust story is a story for all of us. As imperfect human beings who are, by our nature, insecure, we are too often easily seduced by those who promise us the fountain of youth, the security of money or property or power or status or. . . We are easily seduced by the promise of predictability, certainty, and security. We can control many things – or people – if we only follow a certain path or take a certain drug or make enough money or. . .
If we do it right we can stave off disease, prolong the ‘beauty’ of our face, live a life of being secure in our old age (which we seek to put off as long as we can), we can block the missiles of our enemies, the terrorists will not get us if we give up certain freedoms, and we can win the war against drugs, terrorists, and wrinkles.
What do we lose? Consider, gentle reader that one of the important things we lose is our opportunity to learn a lesson that is also present in all cultures – and has been in all cultures since folks began to record their histories – this is the great lesson of learning to trust in God.
What?!
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