The Return

What does 'The Return' mean to you? Maybe you are thinking of Star Wars, or Lord of the Rings. Maybe you are thinking of the Bible, and the story of Jesus Christ. In all cases, there is probably at least some pointer to the return of something. What is it that is returning, and what do all of these things have in common?

All great stories follow a similar path and structure. The classic story of good versus evil is told in as many ways as the creative human imagination can stretch.. Which we know to be infinite. Imagination is infinite - extending as far as we want to follow it, in all directions. A story is like this. Starting at the center point of a circle, and traversing in some wild direction outwards away from home base, reaching climactic heights right when the audience looks back and realizes just how far from home they've traveled.

A story takes the reader on an adventure into an unknown land, to experience un-felt or perhaps unexpressed emotions, or to stimulate centers in the brain and body that have gone unexposed prior. We follow the author trustfully, allowing the mind to flow along, and are pleasantly surprised when we lose ourselves in the story. We are paradoxically mesmerized in moments that we find ourselves captivated by something other than our self. Oftentimes, that something is bigger. Because we would only ever be willing to give ourselves up in return for the promise of something more. Right...?

The idea that a story takes us on a journey into our own psyche makes the universal stories, the ones outlining key concepts for a positive human existence, so much more important to pay attention to. To inject our own meaning, interpret them for ourselves, and apply them in our own lives. How might the stories of Jesus or even Luke Skywalker help us live a more fulfilled life? They convey meaning that is impossible to communicate directly with words because we all have our own experiences in life which color our interpretations. The word God probably means something different to a Catholic priest than it does to an agnostic Western scientist.

A story invites the reader to participate in creating their own imagery, their own meaning, and their own interpretation to events described. To accept a story as literal is to use the penetrating sword of logic and reason to cleave apart its self-exploration potential. Once we claim to know, we cannot possible know anything else.

So why would we bother reading any story at all? To embark on the quest of a story is to admit that there is something unknown to be revealed. It is what keeps us enticed, encourages us to continue. It's why any great story has a number of cliff-hangers and what-ifs and plot twists. If we knew how it ended, we wouldn't bother with the details. But the details are what matter! They help point us to different aspects of our own being, of our own life challenges. Sure, no one might ever have their hand cut off by their father with a lightsaber, but how can the symbolic message of this be useful in our own lives? Ever felt like you would let your father done if you failed to do something? Ever felt like living up to your father's expectations kept you from reaching your true potential? Like you only had one hand...?

All that being said - I return to the question. What does 'The Return' mean to you?

I'll leave you with this. Jesus was an example of a man who did the best possible things for humanity, and was tortured and killed anyway. That sucks, and I'm not being morbid or satirical at all by saying this. I really mean it. Imagine if you did everything you knew was right and the people you loved and trusted betrayed you, inflicting great pain and eventually death upon you. We all know this feeling, and it sucks. But, if we follow the story to its conclusion, we find out that after an arbitrarily small period of time of 'being dead', Jesus makes his Return. What does that tell you?

Oh hi I'm the Sun and I return after the dark of every night.