A while ago, I went to see one of my professors giving a “last lecture” speech (Dr. Secaur, for those who go to Kent and have heard of him). Though it was not really his last lecture, the idea is from a book called The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. The book has inspired many professors to give a lecture saying what they would say if they only had time for one final lecture about what matters most to them, or what final knowledge they would like to impart on their students before they go. This specific professor had mentioned (in passing) a few times in class that he is a Christian, and the classes I’ve taken with him are some of my favorites (he goes well beyond the extra mile to keep the classes interesting), so I relished the chance to hear him speak.
The lecture wasn’t as spiritually-oriented as I was hoping (instead touching largely on his political beliefs), but it gave me the chance to really see what motivates him and what really matters to him. The thing that stuck with me the most though was the idea itself of a “last (not really) lecture.” I had just become much more familiar with one of my teachers, getting to know him better in less than an hour than I had in any single class period. The entire idea of giving one final (not really) speech to impart one final (not really) idea or value to students was so incredibly deep and thought-provoking to me, and I think it’s one of the most important questions that anyone, especially a teacher or a writer, can ask themselves. Here, then, I decided that I want to write one final (not really) blog post, explaining what the last (not really) thing I would say on here would be if I only had time to say one thing.
Being someone who is constantly absorbing new stories through video games, movies, and books, as well as often trying to come up with new stories, I’m finding that between symbols, allusions, and archetypes that there really are only a handful of plots. Everything is somehow a retelling of something else, from a different story or group of stories, or even from within itself (as is often the case with symbols and foreshadowing). In Harry Potter, for example, much of what happens seems similar to other fantasy stories, or earlier in the series, such as Ron and Harry’s argument and estrangement in Goblet of Fire being very similar to the unrelated and far larger rift that appears in Deathly Hallows. I often try to reflect this idea in my own story writing -- having smaller stories and events reflect what will later occur in the grander plot, or sometimes be a tribute to stories or TV shows I enjoy.
In a lot of ways, I see this constant paralleling happening in real life as well, certain events seem to repeat themselves in unrelated ways, the same story occurring in different places and in different forms. It seems like life history and science itself are filled with the simple cycles of “corruption” and “redemption.” Great kings fall before personal shortcomings, or else overcome them. Chemical reactions change or ruin physical things, but these changes often do a lot of good, and even if not, the changes are sometimes reversible under certain circumstances. And in my personal life I constantly see things being broken before me, only for the pieces to fall into place, forming something new and beautiful.
This great repeating corruption/redemption story appears most importantly in the Bible, with all 66 books being several retellings of the same story -- mankind is corrupted and falls short, unable to do anything to come back to who they were, only for Christ to come and sacrifice himself to cleanse us. Make us as we were before, and often even more. If anyone has not heard the sermon “The Fourth Man; Christ throughout Scripture, (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcjW3DSbMeI)” I would recommend it strongly, as it shows just how everything in the Bible, just like everything in life, points to the simple story or corruption and redemption that is the center of humanity itself.
I truly believe that this story comes from the story of humanity’s corruption and redemption through Jesus, and it is in that story that I see the thing that perhaps separates the corruption from the redemption, and the evil from the good -- selflessness. It was Jesus’ selfless love that saved us. This selflessness is why I try my best (though I don’t claim to always succeed) to be humble and serving to others. Not because of any sort of rule, but because I want to parallel, as best as I can, the love and selflessness that saved me and defines who I am now.
This is also why I dislike movies like the Twilight Saga and find it hard to relate to so many modern antiheroes -- most of the characters preform “good” or “loving” actions for their own sake, rather than for the sake of others. The reason I am often cynical of dating and relationships is that so many are seen to be simply about how the other makes THEM feel, rather than honestly about any true or selfless love for the other. This selfless love is what I want to base my life on, and should I die before I post again, I want my last (not really) post to be about this selflessness.
So how about you? What motivates you? If the comment you were about to leave would be the last (not really) thing you said before you died, what would you say?
-Caleb
