Epic Proportions

Modern cinema is currently infatuated with the concept of a timeless epic. Progressing from William Wallace to General Maximus and even to the mighty land of Troy, their boundless stretch for blockbusters has unfortunately led them to the memory of Alexander the Great. Three hours and ten minutes later, I return from the movie theater with a deep sense of boredom and a stomach sick of Raisinets. Still, out of the chaotic and shallow characters, my mind somehow forged a question to ponder: what is greatness? The classic epic generally depicts a man who makes his way to the top to achieve some basic purpose or goal. All too often this involves power or greed, but the truest form of heroic strife is achievement. Sure, these movies sell because they involve dramatic fight scenes for the guys and hopeless, mysterious romance for the girls, but didn't stories like these receive great accolade before there was such a thing as the blue screen or Brad Pitt? Of course they did. Hollywood has it right. Whether they are aware of it or not, I would argue that these plot lines work because the characters send us deeply into a setting where greatness is cut and dry, plain and simple, as man versus man or man versus world. Through annoyed sighs and an overdose of chocolate, I still came out of the movie looking inward and questioning myself and my life.

There was no other professor that taught me more at A&M than Dr. Rick Rigsby in the department of Communications. The proof of his impact was in sheer numbers. He could consistently fill a classroom that didn't require attendance. What is impressive about this is the title of the class was "Rhetoric in Western Thought". We're talking Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, the whole Greco-Roman backstory. But his gift is in taking basic subjects, even as classic as western rhetoric, and relating it to any audience. He knew how to drive at the basic themes and open an otherwise bored mind. I'm furious that I threw away some of his lectures that included some great quotes, but one I remember above the rest.

"Great people do things that other people don't."

I can hear his voice booming across the room. Those who have had the pleasure of being in his classroom, or at least of hearing him speak, know the kind of echo his voice can cause. As a very large man with a looming prescence and resounding voice, he commands respect. I'll be honest that even as he repeated the quote, I thought it sounded a little obvious and perhaps overpraised. But as he knew best, he dissected the words to produce an understanding across the whole room.

The point that Dr. Rigsby made is that to be great, one must stretch their limits, push their boundaries, and take those final few steps where so many others will hesitate. I would venture to say that you've been in such a situation before. Exhaustion of the mind, body, or spirit has set in. All human thought tells you to stop or suffer severe consequences. But for some reason you choose to go on. Great generals make the bold move to strike with an outnumbered force. A nervous boy decides to ask out the picture-perfect girl that everyone else is too afraid to even speak to. An employee makes a risky proposal to his boss where others remain quietly in their chair. Body defies mind. Action crushes idleness. But before the first troop steps toward the enemy or the first syllable is uttered for a date, there is Vision, a guiding beacon that sets the goal of all objectives. This is the part of our minds that formulate alternatives when we feel things are heading in the wrong direction. It's the part of our soul that reaches out to explore other terrains when we become stagnant or lazy. Dr. Rigsby would go on to say, in the analysis of that quote, that great people are more than minds and words, but they are actions and objectives. After all, talk is cheap.

I have a private blog that I don't share with anyone. In fact, I would prefer to not even share its title because even that outlines too much. Typically, I will go to that journal with these sort of questions, the philosophical ones, that, honestly, often tail off into no answer. But I post it here because I think that many of us struggle with this question: "Will I be great?". God made us with a willpower and intelligence of mind that causes us to always struggle for survival, and not just of ourselves but of our humanity. Individuals protect their family with no regard to their own welfare. After all, isn't that the simplest definition of love, someone you would willingly die for. But he also gave us a soul that questions self-purpose and merit, pondering the who-what-when-where-why's of life; a soul that doesn't always accept the status quo but wants to know the meaning behind it all. Those that know me would have no problem attesting to the fact that I can easily be classified as a person of many questions. This is very true. But I will say that I don't ponder why we're here. As best versed in a song: "All of life comes down to just one thing, and that's to know You, oh Jesus, and to make You known." Simple as that. But in the same breath, we were made in God's image, with Adam and Eve each retaining certain aspects of His character. Woman would receive the compassionate and caring concious that nurtures, provides, and seeks to tend to her group. Man was given the harsher spirit of protection, competition, and boldness. Not to say that each didn't take in a little of the other, but these characteristics are often very apparent in even the little things that we do.

A book that I have added to my shelf, but am unfortunately only about half-way through, points to this as definite truth and essential in understanding how to provide God with glory in our lives based on what we were given. It's called "Wild at Heart". I think about the ideas of this book whenever I become engulfed in a movie with the stereotype of this greatness-seeking character. I can see myself as Maximus, defending home and seeking to provide justice for the wrongful death of his wife, son, and mentor. Or in a more modern time as Rudy, striving to surmount all odds, even when all those around doubted his abilities. Or even as Alexander, pushing ahead through countless borders, seeing the deeper motive of modernizing the common mindset to include a change for the better.

The fact is, through all this pondering, that everyday life reaches a point in which it becomes only that; just every day. Will I have the opportunity for that great achievement? How does one push vision to reality? Will I have what it takes when the time is provided to raise the bar? I trust that you have all thought these things, in one form or another, although perhaps not as overstated. A month or two ago, this was something that created a certain level of concern and worry for me. The idea that I could forever be subjected to the mundane and have no control over the outcome or course of my life is a concept that I feel goes against my character and my abilites. But with help from the best source, my comfort came through Psalms 62:5-8. My strength is in God, and my hope is in Him. Achieving greatness is more than a Hollywood movie or an epic tale. It's in the realization that human strength is weak and inconstant, and there is only one source for rock-solid stability. I may not know the exact time that my tests of "greatness" will come, but preparation through vision and movement through action with no fear of my basis of strength is all I need to be aware of.

And God willing, maybe one day my life can avoid being subjected to a crappy screenplay directed by Oliver Stone. Let's have faith that someone like Tom Hanks or Spielberg would jump on the project.