Fool and Foolish

Who would want to be seen as a fool?

In medieval times the courts employed a jester. Jesters sang ballads, told stories and made fun of things around them. Their role was not merely entertaining; it was also an opportunity to bring contentious issues before the King. Telling stories and joking about serious matters - with wisdom and insight- could be a daring occupation, after all, speaking the truth to those in power was not always a safe occupation; especially not as the King's fool.

I wonder if our society still has a role for the 'fool'. Sure, some comedians earn a decent living with playing the fool. In daily life, there is no place for a jester; instead, if anything goes wrong, we tend to look for a scapegoat. Just watch the political debates in an election year!

Dan Horan OFS, wrote about Christian foolishness some time ago. He said: “The very core of Christianity appears foolish to the world. Take, for instance, the idea that God would become human … Or take the love and mercy of God … that they are unconditional."

To some of us, this is no news; this is how we live our lives. To others, it sounds, well, silly!

So foolish or being a fool, what does that mean? In general, it means a person does something against society's convention. St Francis became God's fool because he rejected the wealth and tradition of his upbringing. St Francis was so full of passion that he left everything behind him to follow Christ, to imitate Jesus and follow in his footsteps. He certainly was seen as a fool in his time.

Foolishness is about being out of tune with society, loving the unlovable; it is about having different values, or maybe there are similar values, it is about how we act upon them. To see Christ in the prisoner is easy to say or sing; however, sitting next to a homeless person in the church may be a challenge for most of us.

Who would want to be seen as a fool? The embarrassment and humiliation– who would willingly choose a path like that?

Who would willingly be saying the wrong things in public?

Or is the fool saying the right thing? Was she inspired by the Divine Spirit? Is living according to our consciousness a sensible thing to do? In the secular time we live in, it is acceptable to express one's authentic self. What if the authentic self is roaring against the widely held beliefs and actions of society?

Or, dare I say it, against the commonly held beliefs and actions of the Church?

 

Peace  comes from within. Do not seek it without. - Gautama Buddha