The harbingers
Carrying the boulder for good
goes the accursed Sisyphus,
carrying his own cross for
crucifixion goes the accused
Jesus; a strikingly similar image
that had gone beyond
time and space.
One was punished for cheating
death, for violating xenia,
killing guests, while the other,
for blasphemy; destroying
a set of lifeless dogmas.
One was punished by God Zeus,
the other by the humans, the
Romans, Pilate Pontius.
…
Who knew that Sisyphus, known
as the cunning ruler, would one day
become the symbol of human dignity,
one who was seen to be carrying
the stone for eternity was also
enjoying his taste of success, by
placing the rock on top of the
mountain, to experience and
renew momentary happiness?
Who knew that those who killed
the supreme symbol of sacrifice
and innocence that ever walked
on earth, would become his
earnest disciples?
The disproportionate punishment
of the accused, the accursed had
over the years made them the
heroes; Sisyphus, who carried the
burden of the underworld to represent
the humans, by combatting death and
their monotonous condition of life, and
Jesus, who carried the weight of the world,
with the sovereign sacrifice of his own life,
to represent God; the two became symbols
of love and sublimity.
Interesting contrast – Sisyphus and Jesus; I’d not though of that before; thanks, a work to ponder further.
Camus, in The Myth of Sisyphus, had clearly said, ‘il faut imaginer Sisyphe heureux’ (One must see Sisyphus as happy; he is happy doing what he is doing. And Jesus said that he who doesn’t carry his own cross cannot be my disciple. Jesus’s act of carrying his own cross was predicted many years ago in the Chinese scriptures if I am not wrong. Then was the disciple born before the preacher? This could not be ruled out as we know that time is cyclical, past becomes the future, future past. Interestingly, on browsing certain images, I came across two… Read more »
I have the suspicion, that I read Camus’ work in my ‘pre flood’ days, but like many things – forgot its theme. I have this image of Sisyphus forever pushing a large boulder up a slope to the summit, but when he reaches it, the boulder rolls down again; so, he starts again – over and over again – for eternity. It does seem an apt metaphor for the human condition. With Jesus, as a ‘sort of’ Christian, I am caught up with the meaning of his life. And of course, we can never arrive at a definite truth about… Read more »
Thank you, Dougie.
Who came before who? Time is curved and we are sitting in the same moment; there is no past, present, or future; we are our own fathers and mothers, sons and daughters.
You raise so many roads to explore.
Exactly. Who came before who? I am trying to get myself out of a cul-de-sac. Thank you.