When We Turn Reality Into Myth

We have a president working to create a reign of ignorance, particularly about who he is.

Photo credit: iStock

By Ira Rabois

Supposed Mythical Beings Now Walk the Streets and Stop to Stare Us in the Face

In the past, it seemed that the mythical meanings of events were more subtle and hidden, but no more. They walk the streets with us and often stop to stare us in the face. Myth can mean a traditional, sacred, or universal story, a story of heroes and heroines, creator beings and destroyers⎼ a story revealing a more intuitive way of viewing life, an invisible realm that parallels our usual one. And it can also mean an untruth or false belief.

And today, our president illustrates both meanings. He has taken lies, corruption, a lust for power and vindictiveness against opponents to such historic levels he has become for many larger than human, a wanna-be deity or devil, a destroyer being walking the halls of our capital. And for too many others who follow him blindly, he’s an angel of vengeance.

But instead of this mythical being living only in story and legend, he’s very human and all too real. And what we, the rest of us, are called to do can seem like something only a hero could accomplish. But usually we don’t feel heroic; we feel like ordinary beings…