Reading the stories of many willful martyrs, we see two sidebars to
the path to their results, two psychological threads weaving together
to form their destiny on the loom of their lives. On the left, we have
the arms reaching for some attainment, looking higher, yet with the
sword in hand implemented as an afterthought. They have a will to
do something, and they accomplish the quest for that purpose at any
cost.
Yet on the right hand we see a very different psychology. Here the
dagger is held in willful contemplation. Accidental death is one thing,
but actively putting one's life in danger is quite another. It is a
calculated risk, a cold wager, as if playing Russian roulette.
Choosing this path is choosing to devalue other options, to let other
branches of life go, and if the time comes, say, "End it here." That
inner side devalues other possibilities, putting all the chips on a
dream.
While there are many saints in many religious traditions, let us weigh
them for what they valued, and not simply sacrifice. People in many
cultures have been praised as saints for sacrificing a great path for a
grandiose exit that put their stamp on a dogmatic cause. Let us each
be aware that when we choose how to live each moment, risking
death each day aware or not, let us be giving our life for something
worthwhile. At the end the tangible result is all the same when death
comes. It is the torch we pass on to the living that counts, and not
when the last pulse of blood is opened to the earth. Let's make that
torch bright in our own lives, and for others.
Let us realize and think critically about what torches, and not make
our judgement about what ideas are right based on how many
people have died for an idea. Judge the message on its own merits.
CYBEReTOWER™ LLC. All text and photographs are copyrighted by the artist, Erik Moore, all rights reserved.
