As a child, my
world was enraptured by the wonderful Fisher-Price toy known as the
Lite-Brite. By inserting multicolored
little pegs into their corresponding slots on a detailed guide, I could
transform drab, dull, and dark pieces of paper into wondrous works of brilliant
art. The light that filled and
transformed the plastic pegs closely parallel concepts of light and darkness
found within the Gospel of John and in Sophocles' drama Antigone. The Gospel of John focuses on the profound
meaning of the life of Jesus, whom he saw as the manifestation of God's Word
(logos). Teiresias, of Sophocles' play
Antigone, is a blind prophet whose lack of vision does not prevent him from
recognizing the truth. The words of John
and the characterization of Sophocles, although similar in many aspects, differ
in the extent to which their concepts of light and darkness affect
humanity. Sophocles' light, in the form
of Teiresias, allows truth to permeate throughout one's lifetime. John's light, as the manifestation of the
logos, presents truth and enlightenment to humanity, but also ensures a
glorified and joyous afterlife through Christ's salvation.
Teiresias, the voice of fate and harbinger of
truth in Sophocles' play Antigone, humbly enters the drama by addressing the
malevolent Creon and stating that he "must walk by another's steps and see
with another's eyes" (Antigone, 102).
The wise prophet was metaphorically declaring that he delivered the
message of a higher truth. This truth
existed as Natural Law. Teiresias advised his monarch to choose a different
course in life. His divine vision more
than compensated for his lack of physical sight, for it allowed him to walk on
a wise and virtuous path. The sage
shared the knowledge and truth that he perceived with others who were too
caught up in conventional matters to realize the existence of a higher
purpose. Teiresias allowed those who
stood "on fate's thin edge" (Antigone, 102) to walk safely to a
plateau of illumination. The blind
prophet combated pride, arrogance, and ignorance to deliver his message of
enlightenment.
John's message of the illumination and
enlightenment provided by Christ is very similar to Sophocles' Teiresias. John explained that "In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John
1:1). The Word or Logos that John is
referring to manifested itself on earth in the form of Jesus Christ. The prophet states that Jesus is "the
light [that] shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome
[him]" (John 1:5). According to
John, Jesus had redefined the Jewish covenant with God and allowed all people
realize the truth. By following the
examples of Christ, one can see actions and faith define a virtuous life, not
actions-in-themselves. Jesus carried
with him the divine message of God and shared his words with everyone. All people, from the despised prostitute to
the aged blind man experienced a fraction of God's glory through interaction
with Christ. Like Teiresias, Jesus
allows people to depart from the sinful path of worldly consumption to tread
upon a more virtuous path. Jesus allowed
people to walk within the footsteps of the Lord.
Light and darkness both play integral parts in
the Gospel of John and in Sophocles' play Antigone. In both literary works, a person serves as a
divine tool who delivers the message of a higher purpose to the ignorant masses
engulfed by darkness. Although the
purposes of these messengers are similar, a vast difference exists between
them. Teiresias offered and gave advice
to individuals to allow them to live a virtuous life while on earth. The Gospel of John illustrates that Jesus
came to earth to bring more than enlightenment.
Jesus came to bring salvation to the masses. In Sophocles' Antigone, Teiresias states that
"honest counsel is the most priceless gift" (Antigone, 103). John disagrees with the words of the worldly
sage, for with Jesus it is shown that human actions pale in comparison to the
acts of God. Jesus condemns the
judgements of men in saying "You judge according to the flesh, I judge no
one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment
is true, for it is not I alone that judge, but I and he who sent me" (John
8:15-16). Although the judgments of
Teiresias may appear to be wise and virtuous, they seem dull and corrupt when
compared with the holy radiance of God.
To John, the most priceless present is that which God lovingly
gave. To John, the greatest gift to
humanity was Jesus Christ who shared his holy message to not only individuals
but to the entire world. Jesus
proclaimed that "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not
walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12).
The Gospel of John and Sophocles' Teiresias in
his drama Antigone shared many common concepts regarding light and
darkness. Both emphasized that the truth
and enlightenment could not be found with worldly means. Teiresias, the blind prophet, and Jesus
Christ, the humble Messiah, shared the message of a higher existence with
people who had not yet experienced the light.
A difference exists in the fact that while Teiresias attempted to follow
the path of virtuosity, the limits of his human mind and actions could not
provide salvation for the ignorant masses.
Jesus carried with him a divine purpose that not only enlightened but
saved. Christ did not solely emphasize
on the physical existence, but also explained matters belonging to the realm of
the divine. Teiresias's message made
profound changes in the lives of individuals.
Jesus's message broke through the barriers of ethnocentricity and
engulfed the entire world in its light.
In the ways that the Gospel of John and Sophocles' play Antigone are
similar, they are also different. The
very path to righteousness that makes the two literary works comparable makes
them different. While both allow people
to embark on the path of light, only the Gospel of John carries the secret to
eternal salvation. In a way similar to a
child playing with a Lite-Brite, the Gospel of John and Sophocles' character
Teiresias allow rainbows of light to exist in a world devoid of color. While both allow the existence of a form of
the truth, it is only the Gospel of John that provides a detailed guide that
will allow a person to find order in their truth. Through such truth and enlightenment, an
abstract world of chaos and ignorance can be engulfed by a world full of order
and wisdom. Realms of beauty and glory
can manifest themselves to individuals who accept the truth and the essence of
light as a message from a higher existence.
Great joy and pleasure shall come to the child who can find beauty and
order in a bleak world full of ignorance and emptiness.
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