(Based on Homer's Odyssey)
*READ and relate to the hidden message in this Greek tale.
*For many years of our life most of us struggle with agonizing frustrations. We are fighting a constant inward battle between needing to obey God's "Thou Shall Nots" and yet longing to fulfill our passionate, sensual desires. I believe that you also feel Ulysses pain. Some of us grew up being taught how "to tie ourselves to the mast" while listening to the song of TEMPTATION at full volume. We heard all the fire and brimstone sermons on the "rocks of death". Sometimes we may lose our senses esp. during our pubescent years. We have a raging desire within us to have a companion, someone we could love and be loved by, someone we could be intimate with. We want to experience that all that sensual desires. But then again when we come to church and sat down, we hear the same thing...THOU SHALL NOT! And "thou shall nots" only go so far on hormone-infested young teenagers who's looking for loopholes in the rope so that we can accidentally-on-purpose steer our love boat as close to the rocks as we can possibly get.
Is there any other way to keep us from crashing against the rocks? Thankfully, the story does not end here. =)
*READ and relate to the hidden message in this Greek tale.
Captain Ulysses cut a powerful figure as he stood on the deck of his great ship. The afternoon sun shimmered off the water as he strode about the ship with grace and dignity. Ulysses' every move was carefully observed by the helmsman who labored long and hard for nothing more than the approving eye of his noble captain.
"Steady as she goes!" Ulysses boomed, his voice filling the salty air.
"Yes,sir" was the helmsman ready reply.
After giving the command, the captain turned his iron gaze to the starboard side where land was just now coming into view. Neither the screeching gulls overhead, nor the rhythmic splash of water against the ship's side, diverted Ulysses attention from what lay just ahead. The smell of adventure was in the air; everything was just as Ulysses liked it. Then, amidst his reverie came a voice arresting his attention.
"Captain!"
The noble leader quickly turned to find a worried seaman, eyes filled with trepidation and lips rattling with anxiety.
"Captain! He again blared, his whole face ablaze with horror.
"Settle down!" Ulysses sofly commanded, "Take a deep breath and tell me what's the matter."
The entire crew within earshot had stopped and gathered round to hear the outcome of this all-important conversation.
"Uh...we...ah...!" he shuttered, "well...uh...you see, sir!"
Ulysses grabbed him by the collar, yanked him within inches of his furrowed brow and demanded, "Come on lad, if you value your life, speak!"
The drama built as the petrified first mate raised a quivering finger due north and shuttered, "The SIRENS, sir!"
Ulysses face drew tight and a woeful sigh was heard about the ship. The Siren mermaids were just ahead, ready to sing their irresistibly enchanting song and cause the bewitched sailors to steer their vessel onto the rocks. The song of the Sirens was so sweet, so alluring, no red-blooded man could resist it. Ulysses had to act quickly-while wisdom still remained.
"Those devilish mermaids won't get us!" he announced to his fearful crew. "That's right! that lovely, luscious, melodious music played by those beautiful mermaids won't have it's way with us. No shipwreck for us today lads!"
But even as Ulysses pondered the intoxicating music, he felt his wisdom slipping. He was gripped by a magnetic urge to hear just a short strain of the legendary song of the mermaids.
"Maybe we could try and miss the rocks? NO!" He chided himself, "NO! It does this to all captains who pass by. They all think they can resist, but then lose their senses and follow the sweet music to their deaths upon the jagged rocks, while the mermaids scoff from above. NO!"
Ulysses ran to the bow of the ship, turned and bellowed for all the crewmen to hear.
"We are men, unable to resist the promise of sweet love in the mermaid's song. The Sirens have baited every ship before us with their songs, and everytime the ships have crashed against the rocks upon which the Sirens sit. But not this time, my friends. We will not fall for their temptation; indeed, we will not even allow ourselves to be tempted!"
"I want every sailor to take some of this beeswax and put it in your ears so you can hear nothing. And tie me to the mast!"
His crew looked at each other with bewilderment.
"You heard me! "He shouted again, "Tie me to the mast. And tie me tight and fast!"
The sun angrily beat down as the disciplined crew rush about the ship responding to Ulysses' orders. And none too had they crammed the wax into their ears and finished tying their captain to the mast, but the beautiful and intoxicating love song of the siren mermaids began to softly fill the air. The Sirens' song, in all its passion and wonder, greeted the ship across the water as a warm fire greets cold hands on a winter's day.
The crew was oblivious-all except Ulysses who, while tied to the mast, had no wax to stop the music. Ulysses blood ran hot with passion. "Untie me!" he screamed in anguish, "Please untie me! I command you to untie me...please, I beg you."
But the crewmen could not hear and had been commanded not to read his lips. The song grew louder and lovelier, and Ulysses groaned with sheer physical desire. He then began to scream like a madman for someone to heed his orders and turn the ship towards the source of that sweet, lustful music. Ulysses threatened the plank, Cyclops feedings, and various other forms of torture as the ship passed the Sirens' rocky coastline, and then finally beyond the reach of their song.
An exhausted Ulysses, his face a deep scarlet from the struggle, finally was untied and fell limp upon the ship's deck.
"Why?" he moaned with his remaining strength, "Why does it seem that the things I desire the most in this life lead to my destruction? Why must I be restrained from something so beautiful? The mast is my savior this day from my headlong craving for that sweet but deadly song of the Siren mermaids!"
"Steady as she goes!" Ulysses boomed, his voice filling the salty air.
"Yes,sir" was the helmsman ready reply.
After giving the command, the captain turned his iron gaze to the starboard side where land was just now coming into view. Neither the screeching gulls overhead, nor the rhythmic splash of water against the ship's side, diverted Ulysses attention from what lay just ahead. The smell of adventure was in the air; everything was just as Ulysses liked it. Then, amidst his reverie came a voice arresting his attention.
"Captain!"
The noble leader quickly turned to find a worried seaman, eyes filled with trepidation and lips rattling with anxiety.
"Captain! He again blared, his whole face ablaze with horror.
"Settle down!" Ulysses sofly commanded, "Take a deep breath and tell me what's the matter."
The entire crew within earshot had stopped and gathered round to hear the outcome of this all-important conversation.
"Uh...we...ah...!" he shuttered, "well...uh...you see, sir!"
Ulysses grabbed him by the collar, yanked him within inches of his furrowed brow and demanded, "Come on lad, if you value your life, speak!"
The drama built as the petrified first mate raised a quivering finger due north and shuttered, "The SIRENS, sir!"
Ulysses face drew tight and a woeful sigh was heard about the ship. The Siren mermaids were just ahead, ready to sing their irresistibly enchanting song and cause the bewitched sailors to steer their vessel onto the rocks. The song of the Sirens was so sweet, so alluring, no red-blooded man could resist it. Ulysses had to act quickly-while wisdom still remained.
"Those devilish mermaids won't get us!" he announced to his fearful crew. "That's right! that lovely, luscious, melodious music played by those beautiful mermaids won't have it's way with us. No shipwreck for us today lads!"
But even as Ulysses pondered the intoxicating music, he felt his wisdom slipping. He was gripped by a magnetic urge to hear just a short strain of the legendary song of the mermaids.
"Maybe we could try and miss the rocks? NO!" He chided himself, "NO! It does this to all captains who pass by. They all think they can resist, but then lose their senses and follow the sweet music to their deaths upon the jagged rocks, while the mermaids scoff from above. NO!"
Ulysses ran to the bow of the ship, turned and bellowed for all the crewmen to hear.
"We are men, unable to resist the promise of sweet love in the mermaid's song. The Sirens have baited every ship before us with their songs, and everytime the ships have crashed against the rocks upon which the Sirens sit. But not this time, my friends. We will not fall for their temptation; indeed, we will not even allow ourselves to be tempted!"
"I want every sailor to take some of this beeswax and put it in your ears so you can hear nothing. And tie me to the mast!"
His crew looked at each other with bewilderment.
"You heard me! "He shouted again, "Tie me to the mast. And tie me tight and fast!"
The sun angrily beat down as the disciplined crew rush about the ship responding to Ulysses' orders. And none too had they crammed the wax into their ears and finished tying their captain to the mast, but the beautiful and intoxicating love song of the siren mermaids began to softly fill the air. The Sirens' song, in all its passion and wonder, greeted the ship across the water as a warm fire greets cold hands on a winter's day.
The crew was oblivious-all except Ulysses who, while tied to the mast, had no wax to stop the music. Ulysses blood ran hot with passion. "Untie me!" he screamed in anguish, "Please untie me! I command you to untie me...please, I beg you."
But the crewmen could not hear and had been commanded not to read his lips. The song grew louder and lovelier, and Ulysses groaned with sheer physical desire. He then began to scream like a madman for someone to heed his orders and turn the ship towards the source of that sweet, lustful music. Ulysses threatened the plank, Cyclops feedings, and various other forms of torture as the ship passed the Sirens' rocky coastline, and then finally beyond the reach of their song.
An exhausted Ulysses, his face a deep scarlet from the struggle, finally was untied and fell limp upon the ship's deck.
"Why?" he moaned with his remaining strength, "Why does it seem that the things I desire the most in this life lead to my destruction? Why must I be restrained from something so beautiful? The mast is my savior this day from my headlong craving for that sweet but deadly song of the Siren mermaids!"
*For many years of our life most of us struggle with agonizing frustrations. We are fighting a constant inward battle between needing to obey God's "Thou Shall Nots" and yet longing to fulfill our passionate, sensual desires. I believe that you also feel Ulysses pain. Some of us grew up being taught how "to tie ourselves to the mast" while listening to the song of TEMPTATION at full volume. We heard all the fire and brimstone sermons on the "rocks of death". Sometimes we may lose our senses esp. during our pubescent years. We have a raging desire within us to have a companion, someone we could love and be loved by, someone we could be intimate with. We want to experience that all that sensual desires. But then again when we come to church and sat down, we hear the same thing...THOU SHALL NOT! And "thou shall nots" only go so far on hormone-infested young teenagers who's looking for loopholes in the rope so that we can accidentally-on-purpose steer our love boat as close to the rocks as we can possibly get.
Is there any other way to keep us from crashing against the rocks? Thankfully, the story does not end here. =)
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