- No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it. -
One of the earliest video games I played when I was a kid essentially had its plot inspired from this verse.
It’s not to original. There was a really bad wizard who had magical powers over life and death. He wanted to (shock of shocks) live forever.
It isn’t that surprising that we would want to live forever, dying is scary business. What I do find surprising is the fact we typically attribute this as an unholy desire.
We do not even have to look any farther than the popular dark wizard himself, Lord Voldemort. The source of his power is the separation of his soul, allowing him to sustain mortal blows.
His magic is evil. Why? Not because of what it achieves, but because of its cost. Herein we find the answer to why unnaturally preserving our mortal lives is associated with an evil desire.
At what cost are you willing to hold onto to your life?
Who will you be willing to kill? What will you be willing to take? For most of these “dark wizards” the answer is anyone and anything.
Yet, all these bad guys, even that one dude in Indiana Jones, can’t obtain it. Why? They are just men trying to master their matter with the delusion of the alchemists.
The power is beyond us, at least for now. Perhaps we will find the “immortal pill” at some point, but then we will cease to be men.
Even then, with that final victory won over natural death, we will still find it possible to die, either due to injury or death.
When that death comes, who can stop it? Perhaps we will build metal men, men that cannot be crushed or pierced, that can walk-through flames and never rust.
We can’t possibly solve all those challenges. These obvious complex systems we dream of will still have failure points, like every human technology.
Even in paradise, the snakes found a way in.
If we were able to get our act together to make an immortal race, is it not obvious that human failures would still cling to us?
Are we wiser now that we have the internet? Are we more holy since the introduction of cable? Do we have less wars thanks to TikTok?
No doubt the evil of man has only been enhanced by our technology. Yes, the good has as well. Technology has only enhanced man’s tendencies, not directed.
Battles will still come, and we will see them in our living rooms, treating them as entertainment rather than events.
This last part of the verse should be read as a warning. If you choose to live by the sword, don’t ask for mercy when it comes to claim your life.
You cheat others? How can you expect protection from the good of society? You have actively acted in the corruption of it.
You have become a victim of the very thing with which you used to victimize others. Don’t wish to live in a dog-eat-dog world? Then why have you contributed to its formation?
When we conquer nature, we seem to reduce it to only nature. Is it wise to not fear lighting as the power of Gods Is it not explicitly that, even if not used as punishment?
Why has understanding made us so blind?
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