Revelation
12:9
And
the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil,
and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the
earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
It's
the greatest tragedy ever told. A story of war, of blazing ambition,
of anguish. As dreamers, we can try to imagine a tale more powerful,
but nothing will ever compare. Lucifer, Satan, the Devil. Think of
him how you will; there's no denying that the most infamous villain
of all time, the true epitome of evil, was once a beloved angel. It
has been said that before he was branded with such sinistral marks,
he was called Samael, which is Sumerian in origin and translates to
“The Venom of God.” His grace and beauty surpassed the angelic
mass, subordinate to only the Father. Samael held his rank among the
archangels with profound glory and diligence.
Sadly,
just like many of the worldly greats that succeeded him, his
unquenchable ambition became his reckoning. Always seeking more.
Forever needing more.
Isaiah
14:12-15
How
are thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How are
thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
For
thou hast said in thine heart, “I will ascend into heaven, I will
exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit upon the mount of
the congregation, in the sides of the north.
I
will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most
High.”
Yet
though shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
The
irony of ambition, I believe, is a lesson mankind may never truly
grasp. If we are like Christ in our acts of kindness and generosity,
then it is suitable to say that we take after the Devil himself in
our ever constant pursuit for more. More money, more purpose, more
knowledge, more happiness. When I survey the world around me or I
catch a line on the news in passing, I think that perhaps the
entirety of mankind resembles Lucifer more than we are willing to
acknowledge. In a world so disastrous, surrounded by such wicked
souls, it's hard to imagine how Hell could be much different. It
would be comforting to say that we weren't always like this, that
things are getting worse each day. We can believe that being so far
from our home in heaven has had a toxic effect, poisoning us and
causing us to forget who we really are. I think back on all of the
wars and tragedies in history and I ask myself, has it really gotten
worse? What if this is who we have always been from the very, very
beginning?
