Reenactment play

October 19, 2014

One of the most interesting stories about a story I have ever seen is a retake on Jane Austin’s “Pride and Prejudice”. This tale has a young, assertive British girl and Elizabeth B. from the original tale swapping lives, times in history, and historic roles. Lizzie is obviously a figment of Austin’s creative mind and modern “Jane” is real flesh and blood. Never mind the obvious practicalities of this tale, the fiction based on fiction sticks and they permanently reverse roles and live happily ever after. I believe we are here in our earthly bodies for a very specific purpose; that we need to seek out that purpose and enjoy the incredible ride.

One of the great blessings of living in the twentieth century is our freedom; our God given right to explore our potential, our wants, desires, and fortunes. In times past many lives – probably most – were spent in complete servitude to survival. Adults worked endless hours, days, and years providing for the basic needs of life the physiological needs. In modern society when water boarding is used and called torture it is successful because when we are deprived of (or we perceive to be deprived) of air, food, shelter, we go into survival mode and will do and say anything to escape the deprivation. Watch from a mental perch as one of your loved ones is deprived of food or safety. Many stories of bears ravaging children emerge yearly and when the incident is explored, the bear is found to have acted out of just those same needs – protection and preservation of family.

In Brittan during the 1800’s pick pockets and other thieves were using the same primal urges to assist their families in a battle for survival. When individuals were caught and hanged in the public square to show the power of the crown, large crowds gathered to enjoy the spectacle. No secret here; during these hangings which were for the express purpose of suppressing crime, pick pockets roamed and took of their daily needs by lifting the burden of riches from those in the crowd. How like we are to them today as we (society) make those less fortunate pay dearly when they deviate from the social expectations of the day.  Imagine a young man joining the Marines at 18, serving three tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, given orders and instructions in becoming a “sniper” and killing many people who he could see clearly through his scope. Five years later he dreads going to sleep at night because each face, each rifle shot, each command to shoot and kill, plays back in his mind and he relives the killing, believing that he has committed the unpardonable sin of killing. No matter the phrase, justifiable shoot and good kill, the mental tapes of agony and loss of his soul continue to play.

Not able to work because he can’t sleep or concentrate, he moves to “just a little” recreational medication, finds many medical practices willing to supply him with legal drugs, and finally goes for the street drugs which he feels will help make the horror go away. Nothing works and he becomes just another statistic in the abyss of medical and social crisis that is soon forgotten.

I don’t want this burden to be simply shunted off to the Government. I want each and every one of us to consciously seek out and bless the lives of those who so suffer. They are not blank faces of unknown persons. They are not fictitious persons like those in “Pride and Prejudice”. They are men and women of every ilk and family. They are, in many instances, your brothers and sisters; your aunts and uncles; your mothers and fathers. They are all children of God. Military, civilian, foreign, domestic, children of color or Lillie whites; male or female; friend or foe; we have a solemn obligation while we are under God’s roof to take care of those who have burdens larger than their capacity to accommodate. As Frank Yoder often says, our job is to help provide a helping hand that will lift and assist those in need as they grow into the demands of their life circumstances.

God bless each of us as we listen to the Spirit, read and understand the great message of Jesus Christ to Love God, Love our fellow man, and love ourselves as his children.

Duane Jacobs, grandfather, father, brother, uncle, cousin, and friend