Visions & Legends

I recently reread what may be my favorite short story “The great stone face” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The story takes place in a large valley with many communities & thousands of people. Among the mountains surrounding the valley was a rock formation which when viewed from a distance appeared to be a human face. The face was majestic & serene, it emanated peace & wisdom, and it was a fountain of positive virtues. The people felt that its watchful care was the reason for prosperity in the valley. Legend had it that one day a man would return who would exactly resemble the “great stone face”.

Ernest spent his whole life living simply in the valley. As a child he learned of the legend & watched for its fulfillment all his days. By worldly standards he was not learned but over time he came to be respected and his counsel sought for. His wisdom did not come from formal education. Earnest spent hours & days gazing upon the great stone face & pondering its virtues. Just as thought precedes action, his mind filled daily with hope for the fabled man of legend, Ernest through emulation fulfilled the prophecy. In his lifetime there were men believed to have the image of the great stone face engraven on their countenance, but with time the likeness paled. One of them “a man of mighty faculties and little aims, who’s life, with all its high performances, was vague and empty, because no high purpose had endowed it with reality.” This man, a politician, was particularly disappointing to Ernest because here was a man “who might have fulfilled the prophecy, and had not willed to do so.” The imposters had sought for & desired greatness, notoriety. They found it fleeting. Temporal pursuits, attainment & achievements are confined to this world. Unassuming Ernest by consistently choosing the best things the best virtues & the best ways of life earned a lasting reward. Peace in this life & joy in the hereafter.

We like Ernest have a pure perfect example continually before us. We too have a prophecy & a promise. The promise of our Savior's second coming. Jesus Christ will one day return. When he comes again will we know him? Will his image be engraven on our countenance? Will he know us because we will be like him? His image can become part of us only when we allow him to mould us, to use us for the betterment of the world & the building up of his kingdom. Is this, unlike the politician, our desire, our will? On what do we ponder? Where are our thoughts?

Now a few relevant quotes from another motivational favorite of mine “As a Man Thinketh”, by James Allen.

"A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts."

"The man who does not shrink from self crucifixion can never fail to accomplish the object upon which his heart is set."

"All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts."

"Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become."

"Whatever your present environment may be, you will fall, remain, or rise with your thoughts, your Vision, your Ideal. You will become as small as your controlling desire; as great as your dominant aspiration..."

Read good books, think better thoughts &, seek to emulate the best virtues. If we do these things regardless of our earthly attainments we like Ernest will earn peace in this life & joy in the hereafter.

For what its worth.