The riddle of guilt

‘ Every road you travel down you find Shakespeare travelling back’. Guilt is part of the human condition and no where is it explained in such subtlety and depth than Macbeth. First the inevitability of retribution for wrongs committed ‘ blood will have blood’ secondly the almost oxymoronic irony of so many who feel the guilt yet still continue ‘returning was as tedious as go’er’. There was a friend of mine ,now sadly passed away,  very much in the news of late. He was very rich highly intelligent and self aware who definitely understood that he was ‘ in so far that I should wade no more’ but he continued down the slope into the dark. We spoke of marriage when I last saw him.But it wasn’t the physical aspect of marriage he craved but the spiritual power of true love which he didn’t have and thus he remained ‘ a walking shadow’.

In many ways remorse would seem to be an emotion we would be best off without. It’s seems  superfluous , even damaging  and something evolution and survival of the fittest should have bred out of us. It is peculiar to humanity and certainly doesn’t effect the rest of the animal kingdom , ask my cat as she contentedly torturers a mouse.

The first question is why don’t we turn back when we know we are walking towards disaster. But that pre supposes there’s something to turn back to Christ said’ I have come to save the living not the dead’ the living are those with spirit the dead only have the material . My friends heart was empty and his lifestyle simply a futile reflection of seeking happiness and fulfilment in the wrong place but his starting point was exactly the same as mother Theresa’s. The next question is why do we need more? Why isn’t what we can see,touch, taste, create sufficient?  Like Macbeth we are all candles and the candle requires a light that light is faith and that is ‘ the truth that sets us free’ John 8.

Sarawak, Malaysia