In our youth we mostly thought of life as what was then and not what might be some fifty years later. Funny how the years change our views of life and the struggles we endured change our opinion about almost everything. From our selfish thoughts as youth to adults and charity and care for others to the final stage of survival, or else.
We have lived to some extent or the other and passed through these various stages. Now most of us who are in our later year’s wonder what is ahead and what is next. I have often thought if only we could capture the vigor of youth and then add to it the wisdom of old age what wonderful persons we could become; but we remain wondering what does lay ahead for us who go old?
In the 1600 century Dr. Faust was the most learned man of his time. He was the subject of the greatest play ever written in German, Goethe’s Faust. What displayed were the two great contrasts of life’s most perplexing questions. Faust had studied everything and had come to conclude he knew nothing. Here am I, a poor old fool and don’t know any more than I ever knew before. Where has life lead me? Right back to where I began. So he committed himself to magic; “I’m going to take up magic studies now, that through the power of the spirit and revelation I might know the meaning of many secrets.
What holds the universe together? Gravitation is a complete mystery today as it ever was.” He finally decides to commit suicide and what stops him, is temptation from another force that will answer all of his questions and give him the answers to everything. So he makes a pact with the evil force and he meets his waterloo as it were. Faust signs the agreement to serve evil in life and the hereafter, with his blood. Then the story of evil begins, love, lust, sex, murder and the normal soap operas content of our days.
What lies ahead for old people? Well Faust found out no one is ever going to know everything. What is it we really need to know about life that is over looked by most people? Two contrasting opinions from the one of the greatest authors of history still rumble through time.
The second book of Faust by Goethe, tries to answer the great questions of life. It centers on philosophy and psychology to answer these question. What makes a man go bad? How does one make a contract with evil? Is it a turning point in life or an actual event or a mental break down? Well that opens the door for every doctrine label to step in and solve the problem. Each one has the answer and can solve the problems of life with the magic in the little Black Hand bag.
Now going on 400 years after Faust, what is the answer? The doctrines don’t have the answers. Magic doesn’t work and the old questions still remain. What makes a person go bad? What makes a person do good? Is it a force beyond our limit to see or just a mental strength or mental breakdown? Could it be a long process of physical and mental health problems? Struggle brings on problems but most are cured by the strength we gain from struggling. How does the universe work? Can we believe we can find the answers or can time last long enough for us to know the answers?
There is one thing about man that either shows our genius or our stupidity about life. Do we believe that we are the only persons who have ever had an original thought? Do we believe we are the only ones who discovered nuclear energy? Now we have nuclear waste never existed before and how do we get rid of it and where do we put the stuff? That’s a question no one has answered to date. Well the answer is somewhere and someone has the answer unless we believe we will be the original answerers to any question.
Where are the answers stored? Who has the answers and where can we find them? Faust said he was investing in magic. The world of revelation and spiritual were where the answers too many questions are found. He found evil and the answers to question he didn’t ask. He found love or lust? Lust because it led to murder and not happiness. Who else has the answers to these perplexing questions found in every generation? Where do the answers come from and how do we tap into this reservoir of intelligence? Faust had the answer, it was revelation and spirituality. Problem here is, we don’t settle for the answer of spirituality because that demands more from us than just thought. It requires mental surrender and belief in a supreme force or person.
Now how can anyone me superior to man, the great and proud reason? How can we prove ourselves more than time has revealed to history? We have solved many problems; life has put in our path. We are too smart to fail now we must move forward and test our theories. We will redeem ourselves, they shout. Who redeems whom?
