Modern Religious Experience: Personal Commemoration- Reflection #7

In Remembrance of James

James Sprake – a friend, brother, son. Merely eighteen years old this summer James left this world to leave to a better place. Eighteen years, not a long time, but I can say with certainty that James lived every single one of the days within these years, and whoever was around him at any time always felt a little more alive too. James was a boy of amazing character, but the greatest gift that he shared with anyone was his smile and laughter, this unbelievable contagiousness about it. No one could escape his aura of joy and ecstasy.

Even if we wanted to, it would simply be impossible for us to forget about James, he has touched too many lives, changed to many for the better, we’ve shared too many laughs. Setting an example that life is too short to be wasted he still makes us think and pray for him every day of our lives. However, in his honor, I believe that we will be celebrating his life every year on the day of his passing, on July 12. Somehow commemorating James every day of our life already, through prayer and thought and memories carried in pictures, a day completely and fully dedicated to him is the least that we owe him. I wish as many of his friends and family to be able to reunite, to come together as they were when James was still physically with us, and to talk about him, to remember days, events, jokes, laughs, and even fights and hardships they have had and shared with him. But most of all I see all these people coming together and amongst the tears they may be shedding, I want to see smiles. We cannot simply cry because James is no longer living in the same world as us, but we have to do him justice by being grateful for every moment we have had with him, and every moment I personally have had with him makes me smile infinitely even if it this smile is always accompanied by tears.

On this day, every single year, we remember James by making him come to life in our words, and by reuniting his friends and family, as he knew them. It does not matter where this is held as long as everyone is together, if not physically, then in spirit.

A small writing that a friend of James made up has become one of my favorites ever since. I think this would be a beautiful contribution in his remembrance:

James, you entered our lives like a comet and passed by so abruptly.

You always told us you’d go to all the better places before us…

What was all the hurry?

We will live your share of life and head to where you are.

Just don’t forget us and do what you want to do and wait for us along the way.

All of us will remember the bright image you portrayed.

God bless, and rest in peace.

Modern Religious Experience: The Morality of Greek Myths- Reflection #6

The Morality of Greek Myths – Jupiter

The skit that I took part in tells the story of Echo and Narcissus. Starting off with Jupiter’s cheating on his wife Juno, Echo, a beautiful and talkative nymph helps him to escape by distracting Juno with her chatter. Echo is punished by Juno herself, and left with no words but the repetition of others’ speech. Not much later, she falls in love with the self absorbed and beautiful man Narcissus whom she follows, ashamed of her lack of voice, and eventually gets her heart broken because his own is too cold for anyone else’s love. As a punishment, the prayer of several other nymphs lead to Narcissus’ death, which falls upon him after he becomes so obsessed with the image of himself in the reflection of water.

This myth is overall quite somber and depressing, but this is an important factor as it emphasizes its moral a lot more. Echo is punished because of her obsession with the sound of her beautiful voice; she herself cannot get enough of a feature that is part of her. This leads to the conclusion that the Greeks did not believe in egocentrism, it would only lead to bad things. Narcissus too is infatuated with himself only. His love for himself leads to the rejection of others, even people that are in love with him, and so, he rejects external love for internal, self-absorbed, and of course narcissistic love.

This myth puts in the foreground the importance of an open mind and heart. The most valuable things in life are those that we share, such as love, and by mistakes such as Echo’s, of having used up her voice she has lost the chance of ever being loved by another. Vanity will have its consequences, both these characters had to suffer the consequence of death. Of course this is only an exaggeration of this self-absorbed act, but the characters of Echo and Narcissus are a representation of the arrogance that humans express too often, and how this particular arrogance and egotism drive a wedge between each of us humans.