** This entry, along with the rest in this little blog, are not posted to impose anything on anyone. Rather, they are here to impart a message. More than anything, before they encourage you (the reader), they remind me (the writer) of truths that are easily forgotten.
All the world's a stage
And all the men and women merely players
They have their exits and their entrances
And one man in his time plays many parts
His acts being seven ages
- William Shakespeare, As You Like It (Act II, Scene VII)
Proceeding from the above quote, it's pretty easy to deduce what the elements represent. It's a formula that generations have adopted through the years since Sir William had first introduced it in the pastoral comedy.
The stage is the world. The play is life. The players (actors) are all of us. The exits, deaths; entrances, births. And the vast in-betweens and several plot devices/twists are the lengthy day-to-days and character-molding circumstances.
Now I like to focus on the last two lines. Who is this one man who "plays many parts"? Who is this man whose "acts are seven ages"?
Yes, Shakespeare has already explained what these metaphors stand for (the seven stages of man's life). But as I read this part, I found that it spoke to me differently. Could it be that this "man" is the Heavenly Father Himself?
When you really think about it, God pretty much is a one-man show in His own right. Not only is He the rightful and more-than-capable lead; but He is also the One who writes the script, directs the play, designs the backdrops and props, and handles the backstage scenes better than a seasoned production team. Oh, and He also takes care of the financials and the marketing.
So where do we fit into the picture?
See, even though God could run the whole thing much better and a lot smoother without our involvement, He chose to write in billions of supporting roles for us! I know. Egos will be taking a hit at that statement; and the proof/cause of that is our innate ridiculousness. We all think we're the star of the show, the headliner, the Beyonce against a whole world of Kellys and Michelles.
We like to adlib and improvise, not considering or caring about how it can affect our fellow cast members, the quality of the production as a whole, and the reception by critics and casual viewers. Because we always want to be in control and have the spotlight on ourselves, we approach God's overall design with unabashed perverseness and tatter it in the process.
We oftentimes don't recognize the damage we cause because we believe it's just part of our job. But in reality, our only job is to enter and exit according to God's cues, act out what we have to, and say the lines that we need to. We take direction from the Director, not embarrass ourselves by making stuff up along the way. God doesn't want us to be burdened with having to memorize the entire script and all the other details that He's already taken care of before they're even materialized.
For the sake of context and application, here's an example. Say, right now (given the circumstances in my current season), the scene that's playing involves me getting pummeled by a gang. I can try to fight them off with my feeble strength; but what will that give me other than some taunting cackles, exhaustion, more pain, and more bruises (to the body and to the ego)? I can let them continue beating me up, knowing that it's futile to try to fight; but how will we all move on to the next scene, where I can possibly be avenged and healed completely? My only job now is to seek help from the appointed Lead; not only is it His job to rescue me, but that is how He's fashioned the scene because He wants to rescue and heal me.
THAT is how we ought to glorify and honor the Creator, the play, and even our own roles. God's production will always be well-written, seamless, timeless, and beautiful. So let's stick to His script!
Stay golden and God bless you!
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