Tragic And Comic

SUN., MAY 27, 1984, 6:06 AM
STREAMSIDE, PARADISE SPRINGS

“Come unto Me, you who would otherwise sleep or just loll in bed”. And you have come, at this rather early hour, to commence a commitment that I urged you to make. When you finally stopped your frantic, repetitious searching and made your commitment (which was not necessary, it is true, but just something I wanted), the lost was found, and the tragic became comic. This is not an uncommon combination in earth life, and I should like to talk to you about it this Christian Sabbath morn.

The earth is a life environment in which events occur that seem to merit the descriptor “tragic”. Wars are fought, and innocent people are hurt, directly and indirectly. Automobiles crash, babies are born deformed, cancer cells develop and thrive, people starve… the litany could be much longer. Tragic circumstances… and where am I? You know the answer, for I have told you times before… I am there in the midst.

Why am I not averting these tragedies? Why am I not working to make this earth like other realms where there is no tragedy, no suffering? Because this is My plan for the earth, and thus far I am satisfied with it. You can remember the drill you devised and carried out with football teams, these many years ago. It inevitably brought injury (though never tragedy, fortunately, though this was quite possible), but it also stimulated growth in the capacity to play rough-tough football. You were aware of the dangers, but there was no comparable way to achieve this desired growth.

The earth is somewhat like this. Tragedy can bring growth of spirit which can be achieved in no other easy way. Sorry, but it’s true. Other qualities that are stimulated in those who minister to those in tragic circumstances are compassion and genuine caring. Spirit grows when compassion is really necessary. And growth of spirit is the goal to which I am most dedicated.

Remember that spirit survives earthly death, so some do show significant growth in this everlasting nature even as they die in tragic circumstances. I do not enjoy the tragic, but I know that it has value. I rarely cause tragedy, but the earth is created and operating in ways that make events happen that some will call tragic. And, remember, what is tragedy for one may be good fortune for another.

But what of the comic as a companion to tragedy? Last evening you who talked together laughed and made jokes about the pain of circumcision and those who were slain after circumcision reduced their desire to fight and defend themselves. It is comic, even though it was tragic, from the view point of those experiencing the devastation. All tragic situations are not comic, certainly, and all comic scenes are not based in tragedy, but there is an interesting relationship.

In one sense the comic aspects of earth life serve as a loving balance for the tragic. Being aware of the funny aspects of life and appreciating these fully is an important part of living earth life in a whole fashion. Laughing is more an evidence of spirit than a means of growth, but, finally, there is a direct relationship between this growth process and the evidence of developed spirit.