Recalled To Life
Literature can be similar to music. It can change your mood, provide an escape from reality, amplify reality, and provide insight and new thoughts.
One of my favorite authors has always been Charles Dickens. With Christmas music playing daily on my radio, his classic A Christmas Carol would be the expected writings to reflect upon, and while it is a special story to me, it is not the piece that crosses my mind this evening.
My life has been wonderful even though it has been punctuated with tragedy and change. Often in times of turmoil and change I reflect upon, A Tale of Two Cities. I frequently find solace from the first and the last paragraphs of the book, and tonight is one of those times.
The first paragraph reads…
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of the noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”
To me this typifies pivotal points in our lives. We are excited about the new paths in front of us, and we have hope for a better future. Life is vibrant and our senses are heightened. Colors are more vivid; aromas are stronger. We can feel each tick of the clock, though the minutes are passing too quickly for comfort because change is upon us and we worry about what is the right direction.
We fear the unknown that lies ahead, we lament leaving the comfort of our current situation, and we wonder if life will be the same, and wish time would pass more quickly so we can be out of our current period of discomfort.
This very real paradox is what the first paragraph of A Tale of Two Cities captures incomparably well. You know you are on the precipice of great change.
The last paragraph succinctly defines our final hope for the future…
“It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.”
In one sentence it completely embodies the confidence and faith we want to have in our hearts at the end of our lives when all those decisive moments are tallied.
Next time you feel life is chaotic and you are unsure of your future, I hope these two paragraphs give you some comfort. You are not alone in your hopes and fears, and may you find that far better rest than you have ever known.