According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, a tragedy is defined as a very sad event or situation, especially one that involves death, or a serious play with a bad ending, especially one in which the character dies.
From these two definitions, two things stand out very clear; anything called tragedy is not a pleasant or good thing but rather a very sad event or situation. Secondly, it occurs to me that a tragedy is always associated with death. As if to say that a tragedy is not really a tragedy in the true sense of it when there is no loss of life (that is death involved). Also in the world of drama, a play or a drama is called a tragedy especially, when the main character dies. In short, we can come to this conclusion that tragedy involves death.
A tragedy is not a new thing in this world. Every day is plagued with the experiences and news of one tragedy or the other across the globe and among every nation. We are beset here and there with this painful reality. Evidence of natural disasters abound around us which has claimed many lives. Earthquake, Tsunamis, volcanic eruption, flood, fire outbreak etc. all constitute to what we call tragedy because most of the time they resulted in the loss of many lives.
More so, there are other cases of tragedies initiated by the man himself. Cases of arm-robbery with killing, hired assassins, terrorists’ attacks, suicide bombers, wars, kidnapping and so on are tragedies caused by the sons of men. And other times Satan himself is directly involved in sponsoring events and happenings that often claim lives and properties. A good example of this is the story one man called Job in the Bible. You just have to read to get a glimpse of what tragedy entails. It involves loss of lives both of man and beasts.
“And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking with in their eldest brother’s house: and there came a messenger unto Job, and said. The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: and the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sound, and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. while he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, the Chaldeans made out three bands and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. while he was yet speaking, there came also another and said, thy son and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house: and behold there came a great wind from the wilderness and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shave his head and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped.”
What a tragedy that was! In a single day, a man lost all he had lived to gather both in human and material resources. Satan combined the forces of men and nature together to execute this great tragedy. It was such a destructive and devastating tragedy to the extent he had to tear his robe, shave his head and fell to the ground in reaction to great bereavement. Who has ever known tragedy and remained normal afterwards? Otherwise, it was not a tragedy. To Mr Job, it was indeed a great tragedy. I just imagine how a mortal man like me could survive that. I doubt if any single man had ever had a similar experience.
Oh, tragedy is bad. Only the victim of it can tell. May you not be a victim of a tragedy. May your life also not end in tragedy. Remember once again that tragedy connotes a sad ending, especially one in which the main character dies. “The end of a thing is better than the beginning thereof…” may you not end your race in tragedy in Jesus name. The world in which we live is plagued with tragedies.
But we need to ask the question, what brings about tragedy into human world? Where did tragedy originate from? This is the simple answer: tragedy originates from tragedy! Surprised? That is just the logical answer because what led to tragedies cannot itself be lesser described than tragedy. And that was the tragedy of all tragedies. It was the tragedy that gives birth to, defines and dictates every other form of tragedies. Every other tragedy you now see or imagine emanates and takes its source and origin from this singular tragedy. It was the greatest tragedy that would ever happen to a man. In this tragedy was lost the LIFE of all lives! Otherwise, it would be less than what we can call a tragedy.
The whole world is a victim of this great tragedy, and we live day by day without considering if there be any other tragedies like this one. It was as a result of this that the whole world now lies in wickedness to the extent that the young and old, rich and poor, small and great, irrespective of age, sex, colour and location are entrapped and enslaves in the consequences of this great tragedy. “for the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope… for we know that the whole creation groan and travail in birth together until now, not only that, but we also who have the first fruits if the spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.” What a serious matter here. Even the redeemed still share in the fall- outs of this great tragedy as long as we live in this world!
What then is this great tragedy that forms the foundation and pivot upon which every other form of tragedies are built? It is not a tragedy of now but a tragedy in the beginning. It is a foundational tragedy that occurred in the beginning. “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness and let them have dominion make the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth…And the Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostril the breath of life, and man became a living soul…So God created man in His own image. In the image of God treated He them, male and female created He them.”
The greatest tragedy that ever occurred in the history of humanity occurred at the point and in the day when the man lost His life- The life of God! There was not to be any other loss compared to it. What a woeful day, when the image and the likeness of God were lost. I wonder how the man would feel within him when his life of innocence, joy, peace, love and comfort was lost. Only God knew the atmosphere and the situation among the angels in heaven as they beheld man fell into the greatest tragedy of his lifetime. What other days can be more woeful than that?
What other tragedy can be greater than that which alienated man from the life of God, disrobed him of his royal garment of holiness, deprived him of his dominion, barred him from God’s presence, hinder him from fruitlessness and rendered him spiritually dead. For God had declared, “…In the day that thou eat of it, thou shall surely die:” Perhaps am still speaking in parable, get it very clear, the greatest tragedy of humanity is SIN-willful disobedience to God’s commandment.
The woe of humanity began when sin was introduced into the course of nature. The death of man took immediate effect as he exchanged his life of God with another life – the life of Satan. As a result of this great loss and exchange, not only the life of man took a reverse and opposite direction to the plan of God but the entire course of nature.
What a great woe and an untold and unquantifiable loss. With the loss of his life also came the loss of his authority, dominion, place, position and power in God. The consequence of this loss is the world-wide inner quest for life and love in everyman, irrespective of age, sex and location. The man became the enemy of his Creator and his own enemy. The cases of parent rising against children, children against parent, husband against wife and wife against husband, nation against nation, worldwide violence and evil on every street of men are clear indices of this great tragedy.
Who will bemoan man in his lost condition? Who will come to his help? Who will pity man in this hopeless and helpless condition he finds himself? Who will comfort the world of humanity of her many sorrows? Who will heal the open wound of men? Who will redeem man from the hand of him that is stronger than him? Man is in a desperate search for his life but knows not the how. Who will show him the way or rather still, who will give him back his lost life?
Man in search of his lost life has done himself more harm than good. See the laborious effort of the bereaved man in lifeless and vain religion in order to secure his life back…. But alas! All that his righteousness could afford him is a filthy rag and vanity upon vanity. He gropeth in darkness, not knowing what he stumbles at. There is a vacuum in his heart but with nothing appropriate to fill it. And as long as the devil finds the heart devoid of the rightful owner, he comes in to fill the vacuum and consequently make life more miserable. Man has sought his life in politics, economy, fashion, technology, science and religion, yet, man is yet to find his lost life. The more he advances in year and achievements the farther he is led away from God. “Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, fighting, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are back stabbers, haters of God, Insolent, proud and boastful. They are forever inventing new ways of sinning and are disobedient to their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises and are heartless and unforgiving “claiming to be wise, they became utter fools.” This is the pitiable condition of man ever since the monstrous substitution took place in the Garden of Eden.
Man was no longer the same ever since he lost his life in the great tragedy. He automatically possessed another life, a life directly opposite to the lost one. By its definition it is carnal; by composition, earthly; and by manifestation, self-centred. From Africa to America, to Asia to Europe unto the uttermost part of the earth, the situation is the same; not even education, invention, great wealth and riches could make man free from the bondage of sin.
All we like sheep have gone astray. “…they are corrupt and their actions are evil; no one does good! The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race; He looks to see if there is even one with real understanding, one who seeks God. But no, all have turned away from God; No one does good, not even one!” “Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, children that are corrupters, they have forsaken the Lord. They have provoked the Holy one unto anger, they are gone away backward…. The whole head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mortified with ointment.” This is the fall-outs or indices of the great tragedy.
And as you move around every day, in the street, at workplace, at car parks and in various places where men are found, the picture of an average man you see is that of a wondering lost sheep without a shepherd, and like a blind man groping in darkness not knowing what he stumbles at. Their faces reflect hopelessness, disappointment, rejections, failures, heartaches and many untold miseries. This is the condition of the lost man because his life was lost.
However, man himself knows that something vital and crucial to his living is missing and by all means seeking to find it. But alas! The way of life and peace they have not known. The more he tries to find his way back to Eden, the farther he moves away from the source of his life, and the deeper he sinks into the miry clay of sin. In search of true righteousness he ends up in vain religion with heavy yokes. “Being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. “ In search of peace, he ends up in war and conflicts… In his search for refuge and security, he ends up in the captivity of occultism, witchcraft and Satanism, in search of pleasure; he has pierced himself with many sorrows of guilt and shame. See what a great exploit man has made in the world of science and technology through the invention of many things… yet in none of those things has man been able to find his lost life. For that life is not located in either the creature or creation but only the Creator.
Where then will man find his lost life? Who will show him the way back to the source of his life? And the most painful part of the story is that the lost man cannot find himself out, for the blind cannot lead the blind unless they both desire pith as their destination. And sad still, man will be lost and lost forever if nobody rises up to rescue him. But the great question is, “who is qualify and fit to seek him out?” Will he be lost forever?
The story continues…