thanatos

Friday, I finished a book (or a play rather) that brings the reader (audience) face to face with the human fear of having no control over their life and very specifically their death. The play painted death as an end, an abrupt ceasing. You were, but now you are no more.

The characters of the play, were in fact obscure characters from a more famous play. In fact one of the most famous plays. And they have to struggle with their anonymity, not even able to remember their own names. They just want control, consistency, understanding, something. But they are strung along, little knowing what they are doing or what is happening around them. And all of this as they circle towards their death, both unknowingly and knowingly.

They see their life as meaning simply you will be born and then die. Everything in between is just a confusing mess of events fated around you, outside of your control. And, as it is inevitable, they do die, obscurely and off stage as the lesser actors of a greater play.

I loved it.

Did I love it because it depicts what my worldview is? No. I loved it because it depicts what my worldview would have been if not for one man.

On Sunday, at church, in preparation for this coming Easter week we went through John 11, the tale of the resurrection of Lazarus. So after reading a play on the helplessness of man in the face of death we saw a man who holds all the power and authority over this death we so fear.

I had to laugh, because even if I had not already made the connection, the speaker even noted how everyone else, even Lazarus, were all minor characters before the Christ in this event. We strive for this mastery over the world and its curse, attempting to be our own master.

And yet this man, walks in and tells the dead to rise. And they obey. And we would run from this man? We would trust to our own strength to fend of the hand of death?

The story of Lazarus is of course only a shadow of the triumph, though. This Friday marks the memorial of even this man, History's main character, who commands the dead to rise, himself submitting to the limits of His mortality. And Sunday will again recount the true magnitude of His authority and power when He commands death once more, and grants us the promise of finally.