Seized by Christ

They are experiencing Christianity as joy and hope, having thus become lovers of Christ.

Tag: hero

  • Pilgrim and Hero: Two Paths, One Journey

    How the pilgrimage and the hero’s journey reveal our call to transformation

    When we speak of journeys, two powerful images come to mind: the pilgrim’s pilgrimage and the hero’s adventure. At first glance, these seem like very different paths. The pilgrim walks slowly toward a holy shrine, while the hero marches boldly into battle or descends into the unknown. Yet the more closely we look, the more we see that these two journeys are deeply connected.

    The Pilgrim’s Path

    A pilgrimage is a journey toward God. The pilgrim leaves behind the comfort of home, accepts hardship, and moves step by step toward a sacred goal. Along the way, he is changed—not only by the external trials of the road, but by an inner transformation. His destination is not simply a place but a Person: the living God who calls him deeper into union with Himself.

    The Hero’s Journey

    By contrast, the hero’s journey, as told in myth and story, is a passage into trial, danger, and transformation. The hero departs from the ordinary world, faces challenges, suffers losses, confronts evil, and returns home with new strength or wisdom to share. Though not always framed in religious language, the pattern points to something higher: that true growth requires leaving safety, facing suffering, and returning transformed.

    How the Two Overlap

    Looked at side by side, the pilgrim and the hero seem to walk parallel roads:

    • Departure – Both leave behind the ordinary world
    • Trial – Both endure hardship, temptation, and loss.
    • Transformation – Both emerge changed by what they encounter.
    • Return – Both bring something back: the pilgrim brings blessing, the hero brings wisdom.

    The difference lies mainly in their destinations:

    • The pilgrim walks toward God and the holy.
    • The hero seeks victory, meaning, or renewal.

    But even here, the two roads converge. For the Christian, every true quest for meaning ultimately points toward God, whether or not the hero realizes it.

    Can a Pilgrim Be a Hero?

    Yes. The pilgrim shows heroism not by slaying dragons, but by enduring the long road, the weariness of the body, and the trials of the spirit. His courage lies in perseverance, in choosing God above comfort, in taking one more step toward the holy.

    Can a Hero Be a Pilgrim?

    Yes again. Even when a hero is not explicitly walking to a shrine, his journey mirrors pilgrimage. His battles are stations on the way. His quest is a hidden search for the sacred. His transformation is a kind of conversion. In this way, the hero is a pilgrim without realizing it—walking toward the same mountain, but naming it differently.

    Two Roads, One Mountain

    Every pilgrim is a hero. Every hero is a pilgrim. One sets his eyes clearly on the shrine of God; the other may name his quest as truth, wisdom, or meaning. Yet in the end, both are called beyond themselves, both must pass through trial, and both are changed in the journey.

    And perhaps this is why these two images—pilgrim and hero—speak so powerfully to us. They remind us that every human life is a journey. Every road leads through suffering and transformation. And every true journey, if followed faithfully, brings us closer to the One who waits at the summit.

    ✨ What do you think? Can a pilgrim be heroic? Can a hero be a pilgrim? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
    If this reflection spoke to you, please like, share, and subscribe so others can join the journey.

    Developed with cooperation from ChatGPT

  • Why Does the Adversary Hate the Unknown?

    What happens when we reject the journey that brings life.

    Q: Why does Jordan Peterson say the Adversary “shrinks from contact with everything he does not understand”?

    A: Because this refusal — to face the unknown — is the root of spiritual death.

    Let’s look at what Peterson is revealing here, and why it’s one of the deepest warnings in Maps of Meaning. It shows us what happens when a person rejects mystery, transformation, and the journey into life itself.

    🔍 Who is the Adversary, really?

    Peterson describes the Adversary not just as a villain in myth — but as a spiritual attitude. A mindset. A posture toward reality.

    “He is the spirit of unbridled rationality.”

    That’s not reason rightly ordered. It’s rationality divorced from wisdom — cut off from the sacred, the mysterious, and the transformative.

    The Adversary is the one who:

    • Clings to control
    • Fears uncertainty
    • Hates the unknown

    He’s brilliant — but brittle. Calculating — but closed. He does not step into the unknown to be transformed. He does not drink the Water of Life.

    Instead, he “shrinks from contact with everything he does not understand.”

    💧 The Water of Life — and the Shrinking Soul

    The “Water of Life” is mythic language for what revives, renews, and regenerates us. It’s symbolic of:

    • Vitality
    • Transformation
    • Creative renewal
    • Truth born from suffering
    • Contact with the deep unknown

    The Hero drinks from it — because he goes into chaos, confronts what he fears, and emerges changed.

    The Adversary avoids it — and becomes stagnant.

    He grows rigid. Authoritarian. Cynical. Over-controlling. He tries to engineer out risk, eliminate uncertainty, and deny mystery.

    He becomes not just hostile to others — but resentful of life itself.

    📖 The Pattern in Myth

    You’ve seen this figure before:

    • Lucifer in Paradise Lost
    • Mephistopheles in Faust
    • Sauron in The Lord of the Rings
    • Cain in Genesis

    Each one refused transformation. Each tried instead to dominate reality with a vision too small for the human soul.

    That’s the Adversary. And he lives in us too.

    Whenever we say:

    • “I don’t need to change.”
    • “I already know enough.”
    • “I refuse to face that pain.”

    …we flirt with his path.

    🧭 What If You Can’t Go on an “Adventure”?

    Here’s the good news: you don’t need to travel far to confront the unknown.

    If you’re wrestling with truth, asking hard questions, or facing fears you once avoided — you’re already doing it.

    The truest adventure isn’t about escaping your life — it’s about transforming within it.

    That’s the path the Adversary refuses. But the Hero takes it. And so can you.

  • Does Every Hero Become a Tyrant?

    How Power, Pride, and Self-Reliance Can Derail the Hero’s Journey

    Q: Can it be said that the success of a hero tends to lead to tyranny as he attempts to hang onto his success and fame? Or does success achieved “on one’s own” tend to make a person think they can do everything by themselves?

    A: Yes—and both are real dangers that appear again and again in the lives of leaders, heroes, and anyone who has fought hard to succeed.

    Let’s take a closer look at what happens after the victory—after the dragon is slain, the mountain is climbed, or the crown is won. The Hero’s Journey doesn’t end at success. In fact, the moment of triumph often presents the most spiritual danger.

    Q: How does success lead to tyranny?

    A: When a hero achieves greatness, he also gains power—and with it, the temptation to cling.

    • He may fear losing what he fought so hard to gain.
    • He may begin to control rather than serve, dictate rather than guide.
    • He may silence others who challenge his authority, even if they speak truth.
    • He may forget his original mission and become obsessed with preserving his status.

    This is how a good king becomes a tyrant—not overnight, but gradually, as fear replaces courage, and pride replaces humility.

    We’ve seen this in myths, history, and modern life. The very strengths that lead to success (vision, determination, discipline) can mutate into control, arrogance, and suppression if the hero refuses to let go.

    Q: What about the self-made hero?

    A: The hero who believes he achieved everything “on his own” faces a different temptation: isolation and pride.

    • He may reject help or guidance, believing he doesn’t need anyone.
    • He may treat weakness with contempt—including his own.
    • He may come to believe he is the master of his fate, forgetting the role of grace, community, or divine providence.

    This path leads to a kind of functional atheism—living as though God isn’t needed, as though man alone is enough. The self-made hero becomes an island, and in time, he finds himself alone, overburdened, and unable to carry the weight he once believed was his to bear.

    Q: Is there a better path for the hero?

    A: Yes—the true hero is the one who learns to let go of success and point beyond himself.

    After the victory, the hero is called to:

    • Give rather than grasp.
    • Mentor rather than dominate.
    • Serve rather than rule for his own sake.

    This is the model of the servant-king, not the tyrant. It’s the path of self-transcendence—not self-preservation.

    As Christ said: “Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:25)

    The greatest heroes are not remembered for what they kept, but for what they gave away.

    Final Thought:

    The Hero’s Journey is not just about slaying dragons—it’s about learning what to do with the crown. Success is a test. Will the hero cling to glory, or become a servant for others? Will he live as if he’s god—or remember the God who gave him strength?

    The journey doesn’t end at the mountaintop. It ends when the hero kneels, gives thanks, and passes the torch.

  • Trauma, Depression, and the Adversary

    Three Ways We Respond to Pain
    Life is hard. Sometimes, we go through deep pain—abuse, loss, betrayal, or the quiet ache of being unloved. That pain leaves a mark. We call it trauma. But trauma is not just what happens to us. It’s how we carry what happens inside. And how we carry it shapes how we live.

    Most people respond to trauma in one of three ways: through depression, through the adversary, or through healing. Let’s look at each one in simple terms.

    Trauma: The Wound

    Trauma is a wound to the soul. It can come from big things (like violence or betrayal) or small things that happen over and over (like neglect or shame). Trauma makes us feel powerless, afraid, or alone. It’s the breaking point inside where life feels too much.

    But what we do after the trauma—that’s where the real story begins.

    Depression: The Collapse

    Some people respond to trauma by shutting down. This is called depression.

    Depression says: “Life hurt me, and I don’t want to try anymore.”

    It feels like sadness, emptiness, or numbness. A person may feel tired, hopeless, or like they don’t matter. It’s a slow fade into silence. In a way, depression is the soul going into hiding. It pulls away from life to protect itself.

    This is not weakness. It’s a sign that something deep inside needs healing.

    The Adversary: The Mask

    Other people respond to trauma by building walls and fighting back. This is what we call the adversary.

    The adversary says: “Life hurt me, so I will take control.”

    This might look like:

    • Being harsh, cold, or bossy (control)
    • Always chasing pleasure or comfort (escape)
    • Mocking others or tearing things down (bitterness)
    • Always trying to win or look strong (fear)

    The adversary is a mask we wear to protect the wound. But over time, the mask becomes who we are. We stop growing. We stop loving. We stop being real.

    The Hero: The Path to Healing

    There is another way. The way of the hero.

    The hero also feels pain. But instead of collapsing or putting on a mask, the hero faces it. The hero says:

    “I was hurt. But I will not let that wound define me.”

    Healing begins when we:

    • Admit the pain is real
    • Refuse to give up or hide
    • Stay open to love and truth
    • Ask for help, even when it’s hard

    The hero does not pretend to be strong. The hero becomes strong by walking through pain with courage and grace.

    Final Thoughts

    Trauma is real. But so are the paths we take after it.

    • Depression is the soul’s cry for rest.
    • The adversary is the soul’s shield against pain.
    • The hero is the soul’s journey back to life.

    Wherever you are in your story, don’t give up. Healing is possible. Even from deep wounds. Even after long silence. Even when you feel lost.

    You are not alone. And you don’t have to stay stuck. You were made for more.

    With content and editing from ChatGPT