The Silent and Brave revision page #118

Many days there comes through the news word of another savior. A man or woman who comes to the realization that they’ve been touched by God, and must pass on the greatness to all of us in word and deed. These are not the quiet ones, who give through charity. These are the noisy ones, who stand on soap boxes and preach aloud on the street corner, or worse, try to inflict their will on others for attention. It is part of human nature.

We’ve all done it, I’m sure. We all think we’re special. Not just special in a ‘my family and friends think I’m special’ kind of way. Special in a ‘I’m going to save the world kind of way’, or ‘I’m going to be the one who paints the next Mona Lisa, or writes the next Grapes of Wrath’ kind of way. If it’s not them, then it’s going to be their children, who may be crying and sniveling for candy now, but will surely grow up to be the next Senator from Maine.

I think it’s a defense mechanism. If we all really sat down and thought about it, thought about how many people have walked this earth, and how few of those multitudes have actually made a lasting impression on history, good or bad, the idea would overwhelm us. The truth is, most of us aren’t going to be remembered in any way at all, and that’s scary. But we can’t give up. We can’t know which action or word we will say in the course of our lives will be the one that is important, that does change the course of history, remembered or not. So we have to believe that we are important, so that we can keep on keepin’ on.

I notice this at Easter time. I think I notice it because people get kind of mean. It has to do with Christianity, and people thinking about their religion, and their afterlife. After all, Jesus was reborn, and got called up to heaven. I think that people start to think a little too much about that. They start to wonder when they’re going to get called to go home, and where that home is, and how important they’ll be when they get there. And I think sometimes those answers do not please them, and they take it out on other people. That’s the problem with inventing Jesus. You leave yourself a lot to live up to.