The Gladiator was a good show for a number of reasons, one of them being that it shows that life will take you in directions totally unexpected and for which you have not been prepared. The show opened in Northern Italy or Gaul. The general of all the northern Roman troops, Maximus, woke up that frigid morning completely in charge of his own life and that of every Roman soldier under him, several legions. All he had to do was give a command and his minions would carry out the order.
The general didn't know and was not prepared for what would happen by day's end. That same night, the emperor's son, who detested the Roman General, murdered his father, ordered the general killed, and sent the Praetorian Guard to slay every member of the general's family. Survival for himself was the general's first move; rushing to check on his family was his second. He survived, but his family did not. He was totally undone. He experienced unrequited anger and disorientation for a while, but then did what it took to stay alive in this world.
He ended up being a gladiator as the movie title suggests. He was already very skilled in warfare. He would never have had the title "general" bestowed on him if he had not have been. So, the former general made an outstanding gladiator. This made his trail lead back to Rome, from which he had been banished, but no one knew that Maximus was other than a good gladiator.
Finally, he was to fight for sport in front of the most bloodthirsty of all crowds, the people of Rome, in the Colliseum. What an honor, if there was honor to be had in Rome. And, the irony of ironies happened. The emperor who had ordered his general of all the north to die would be watching the match. The general/gladiator did not know and was not prepared for what happened by day's end. At the end of the major fight of the day, the emperor asked the champion gladiator for his name. The general mocked the emperor by proudly shouting his full Roman name, Maximus... and his title, General of All the Armies of the North.
This mockery, of course, led to a challenge with the emperor himself. The fight ended in both their deaths encircled symbolically by the Praetorian Guard. Just that morning the general of all the armies of the north turned champion gladiator never dreamed he would avenge his family's death, restore his own good name and honor, and die in the line of duty, all in one fell swoop.
Many a life has mirrored the general's in this show. One moment you have success, the next you experience the doldrums. One minute you have temporary control of your life, the next that control is stripped, and you are sent to the depths of the sea. One day you firmly grasp your destiny, the next everything near and dear no longer can be your reality, and your heart is ripped from your chest. Even if there is an avenging moment, it is not sweet because you lose in the deal too.
There are certain rhythms in life. But the overall course you chart is not according to a rhythm. One of the sayings in English is, "Don't become adrift in the sea." Well, I'm not sure that's possible. If you're on the sea, you will hit uncharted waters at some point or several points. It's just a matter of whether your survival skillls see you through to the end. Every friend I have has hit uncharted waters. I have watched to see how (s)he has survived. They all have the scars to prove their survival. And they all take new directions in life soon afterward.
The general didn't know and was not prepared for what would happen by day's end. That same night, the emperor's son, who detested the Roman General, murdered his father, ordered the general killed, and sent the Praetorian Guard to slay every member of the general's family. Survival for himself was the general's first move; rushing to check on his family was his second. He survived, but his family did not. He was totally undone. He experienced unrequited anger and disorientation for a while, but then did what it took to stay alive in this world.
He ended up being a gladiator as the movie title suggests. He was already very skilled in warfare. He would never have had the title "general" bestowed on him if he had not have been. So, the former general made an outstanding gladiator. This made his trail lead back to Rome, from which he had been banished, but no one knew that Maximus was other than a good gladiator.
Finally, he was to fight for sport in front of the most bloodthirsty of all crowds, the people of Rome, in the Colliseum. What an honor, if there was honor to be had in Rome. And, the irony of ironies happened. The emperor who had ordered his general of all the north to die would be watching the match. The general/gladiator did not know and was not prepared for what happened by day's end. At the end of the major fight of the day, the emperor asked the champion gladiator for his name. The general mocked the emperor by proudly shouting his full Roman name, Maximus... and his title, General of All the Armies of the North.
This mockery, of course, led to a challenge with the emperor himself. The fight ended in both their deaths encircled symbolically by the Praetorian Guard. Just that morning the general of all the armies of the north turned champion gladiator never dreamed he would avenge his family's death, restore his own good name and honor, and die in the line of duty, all in one fell swoop.
Many a life has mirrored the general's in this show. One moment you have success, the next you experience the doldrums. One minute you have temporary control of your life, the next that control is stripped, and you are sent to the depths of the sea. One day you firmly grasp your destiny, the next everything near and dear no longer can be your reality, and your heart is ripped from your chest. Even if there is an avenging moment, it is not sweet because you lose in the deal too.
There are certain rhythms in life. But the overall course you chart is not according to a rhythm. One of the sayings in English is, "Don't become adrift in the sea." Well, I'm not sure that's possible. If you're on the sea, you will hit uncharted waters at some point or several points. It's just a matter of whether your survival skillls see you through to the end. Every friend I have has hit uncharted waters. I have watched to see how (s)he has survived. They all have the scars to prove their survival. And they all take new directions in life soon afterward.
I suppose that is why the Good Teacher gave the illustration about the person who builds a foundation on sand or rock. I have certainly built structures on sand before. They lie in ruins from collapse. I have also built on rock. Those values are still in place. My path may have new direction, but the foundational values are intact. So, here's to the adventures of life, rock, and sand.
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