The “Little Mermaid” is, at its simplest, the story of someone wishing to be something they are not. The little Mermaid wants to be a human, not only because she falls in love with a handsome prince, but also because humans have eternals souls while Mermaids do not. In the end, things don’t work out as planned for the heroine in this bittersweet story; the prince marries a human and the Little Mermaid dies without obtaining a soul.
As sad as this story is I recently heard one that is, for me at least, even sadder. This is the real life story of people who wish to become Merfolk. They wear Mermaid or Merman costumes, swim in the sea, and in one publicized case I read about, even quit their jobs to pursue their dreams. That, to me, is a pretty sad thing to long for.
I realize that things are tough for we humans. Life isn’t always easy or good, especially for some people. Life however--this life as human beings--is what we make it, and many folks, even in very difficult situations, enjoy life as they are. I have never seen or heard of anyone being happier as a Mermaid than as a human.
I’m not sure what troubles me more about this story. I’m troubled enough by the fact that folks would want to be something other than human. I’m equally troubled by the fact that these folks would want to be something mythical; it just seems wrong to dream about something that doesn’t even exist. Or maybe that’s the whole point; they are so unhappy that they have to go beyond what is known and create their own fantasy life. Within this fantasy they can escape from the reality of being human into something that they themselves define. If you’re unhappy as a human, maybe being a Mermaid or Merman will work for you.
I’ve reached some pretty low points in my life. I’ve been extremely hurt by others and sometimes even by myself and life has not always been good. But even in my pain and misery I have never considered anything but this life as being the best one possible. I know that I am created in God’s image and that being so made gives me the best hope for happiness and a great life. I wouldn’t want to be anything or anyone else.
It isn’t really a choice we have, anyway. We cannot become something we are not. There is even less chance of our becoming something that doesn’t exist. We can never be Mermaids or Mermen. We can’t be Dragons, Unicorns or Aliens. We can, however, be fully human. There is, in fact, nothing simpler. To become the best and happiest humans we can be we only need to follow the best human being ever: Jesus. We can never be Him, but we can certainly follow His example of love, kindness and mercy. Even if we can’t be fully like Him, simply trying will make us the best people we can be. Through Jesus, we have no need for fantasy. Through Jesus life is the best it can be.
As sad as this story is I recently heard one that is, for me at least, even sadder. This is the real life story of people who wish to become Merfolk. They wear Mermaid or Merman costumes, swim in the sea, and in one publicized case I read about, even quit their jobs to pursue their dreams. That, to me, is a pretty sad thing to long for.
I realize that things are tough for we humans. Life isn’t always easy or good, especially for some people. Life however--this life as human beings--is what we make it, and many folks, even in very difficult situations, enjoy life as they are. I have never seen or heard of anyone being happier as a Mermaid than as a human.
I’m not sure what troubles me more about this story. I’m troubled enough by the fact that folks would want to be something other than human. I’m equally troubled by the fact that these folks would want to be something mythical; it just seems wrong to dream about something that doesn’t even exist. Or maybe that’s the whole point; they are so unhappy that they have to go beyond what is known and create their own fantasy life. Within this fantasy they can escape from the reality of being human into something that they themselves define. If you’re unhappy as a human, maybe being a Mermaid or Merman will work for you.
I’ve reached some pretty low points in my life. I’ve been extremely hurt by others and sometimes even by myself and life has not always been good. But even in my pain and misery I have never considered anything but this life as being the best one possible. I know that I am created in God’s image and that being so made gives me the best hope for happiness and a great life. I wouldn’t want to be anything or anyone else.
It isn’t really a choice we have, anyway. We cannot become something we are not. There is even less chance of our becoming something that doesn’t exist. We can never be Mermaids or Mermen. We can’t be Dragons, Unicorns or Aliens. We can, however, be fully human. There is, in fact, nothing simpler. To become the best and happiest humans we can be we only need to follow the best human being ever: Jesus. We can never be Him, but we can certainly follow His example of love, kindness and mercy. Even if we can’t be fully like Him, simply trying will make us the best people we can be. Through Jesus, we have no need for fantasy. Through Jesus life is the best it can be.
No comments:
Post a Comment