One such theme is the idea of a perfect city somewhere. Somewhere there is a place where there are none of the problems that humanity has had to deal with…sickness, old age, death, greed, corruption etc. It’s Utopia or perhaps it’s Shangri La. It 's a place where human beings have a different nature…a higher nature. The very dream of it seems embedded in our collective unconscious. It’s almost as if it’s in our spiritual DNA. In our genes we somehow know that it’s out there…somewhere.
Another recurrent theme in mythology is the idea of a virgin giving birth. Her offspring is something, someone special…someone coming from a woman of a pure, chaste nature…untouched by a man. She appeals to our higher nature too. She’s unsullied by the profane. Only goodness could come from her…
Even the idea of a savior is recurrent. We all suffer from the influences of the darker aspects of our nature. We somehow always tend towards self-destruction…but from somewhere that one being is coming who will save us from ourselves. Even in 21st century America that mythology is alive and well. We all know about a man who looks like us but is far superior to us. His wise father sent him to us to help us, to save us from ourselves. He’s Superman! (Known secretly as Clark Kent!) Something about the story appeals to us on a deep level. It makes us feel safe to think he’s out there…somebody who knows better and doesn’t partake of our dark nature. He’ll save us!
I think these are some of the reasons why stories like ‘The Lord of the Rings’ appeal to us on such a deep level. They evoke our inborn images of a special city, a pure woman and a powerful savior. We see through to the truth of the story. We understand the battle is to the death. Like it was written into our very nature, we understand the story and it makes us yearn for the reality of it.
There is mystery connected to our yearning too. We are titillated by the unknown. We need mystery in our lives to give us purpose. We NEED to know what’s on the other side of the veil… It’s a part of our nature.
The problem is when someone realizes the needs we have…they can manipulate us. Just like our bodies need good nutrition, our spirits need good-ness. But even that can be counterfeited. Our bodies can be tricked by what tastes sweet…but it only destroys us. Our spirits can be tricked by something that seems good...but the ends thereof are destruction.
We have to see through to the truth of a mystery. Some can draw us like a calf to its’ mother’s milk. And some can draw us like a moth to the flame…to our own end.
What is the truth of it? What are the ends thereof? As Christians we know we need the Holy Spirit with our spirit to make us complete, to give us the discernment to see through to the truth of the mysteries that draw us…and we still only see through a glass darkly.
Have you looked into the heart of the mystery? Have you exercised your Spirit today? The One on the other side of the veil is calling...
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