Hamlet

This morning on my way to church I listened to Hamlet. This is not normal for me, I tend to listen to worship music on my way to church so that when I arrive I am already in a place ready to worship. Last night I fell asleep listening to Hamlet and this morning I found myself wanting to pick up on that so I did.

I have not read watch or heard Hamlet in a very long time. I tend to spend more time on Shakespeare's comedies. I have had these audio plays for a long time now and I think this is my first listening of Hamlet. I confess Hamlet has been brought to the fore front of my thought because David Tennant is playing this role for the RSC. I read some reviews of the show and found myself forgetting more then I remembered about the play and pulled it out to refresh the ole memory. (Alas it is not what it use to be!)
Back to my point in the car I was listening to Hamlet's father talking about his burning in fire until his sins have been burned off. Also he was saying he was killed without having the chance to earn some good behavior points for some of his sins. Translation he is in purgatory finishing the job of earning his way into heaven. I felt sorry for him and for those who lived and are alive now who believe this. What a horrible thought if I die before I have a chance to store up enough brownie points I am doomed to have to walk the fires of purgatory until I am pure enough for heaven. No wonder people are afraid to die! I would be if that was what I believed. I don't understand how you can be a follower of Christ and believe this. Boy am I glad I was not raised in the Catholic church. What would be the point, by putting the ability to get into heaven in our own hands we completely take away the sacrifice Christ made on the cross. If we could do it ourselves we would not need Christ.

This is a conversation I have had with several catholic family members. Some of them are people who were upset that my brother and I were not to be raised in "The Church". This died down to a dull roar by the time I was really aware of what was going on. I can report that any time there was a chance to drag my brother and I to Mass it was taken advantage of and at this point I know more about the workings and teachings of the Catholic church then my cousins who were raised in "The Church".

So, this morning I thought I was being a little bit bad by not listening to worship music on the ride. Instead I found myself thanking the Lord for giving my mother the courage to stand up on that point and for the church I was raised in. I also just found myself saying over and over again Thank you for the Cross Thank you for the Cross Thank you for the Cross. Ok so I found my way to the place of Worship through Hamlet?! God really can use anything. :-)

On my way home I also listen to Hamlet and I napped through a bit of it at home too. I found myself drifting off into the era it was written in. the reformation was a relatively new idea that was taking off like wild fire. Elizabeth and her half sister Mary both queens each on a different side of the fence. When Elizabeth took the thrown over from Mary she took revenge on the Catholics for how she was treated by the very Catholic Mary. For generations the Catholic teaching was the only game in town and then the word of God is put into the average person's hands and the truth of it is there now there but all those Catholic teachings still lingering in their heads and to be a part of a mass could be deadly since it was not illegal to give a Mass. Priests were hunted down and killed people created hideaways called priest holes to attempt to protect their priest. What a confusing time that must have been.

This afternoon it is not Thank you for the Cross that I am saying. It is Thank you for the Choice, Thank you for the choice Thank you for the choice.

History has a lot to teach us if only we step back and look at it once in awhile.