“One of the elders said: Either fly as far as you can from men, or else, laughing at the world and the men who are in it, make yourself a fool in many things.”
—Wisdom of the Desert
This is one of the most delightful sayings of the desert fathers. Since I have not flown from the world of men (and women), then clearly I have chosen the path of the fool. So, how am I doing at laughing at the world and making myself a fool in many things?
The concept of the holy fool runs throughout the mystical tradition of many religions. Sometimes he’s the trickster of Native American lore; sometimes he’s the bumbling but all-wise sidekick of legends (think Little John to Robin Hood; Sancho Panza to Don Quixote); sometimes he’s the Christ himself, surprising the party guests by turning water into wine.
The holy fool reveals the joy and glory of the Ultimate Reality in everyday, common things. Whenever we are surprised by grace, or break into laughter at the comedic unfolding of the human drama against the backdrop of Infinite Being, or whenever we simply take ourselves less seriously and laugh—perhaps the most vulnerable act of emotion—we let go into the mystery, surrender our need to control, and merrily rest in the present moment, for a brief moment quietly confident that the Universe is indeed laughing with us.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment