I was having a conversation with a friend from church today. We were talking about believing. We talked about Kant, who basically said...believe whatever you want to believe, who cares? We also talked about Hume, who said miracles are whack and that if there's no proof, he doesn't want to hear about it.
I thought that it would be pretty awesome if I could know for sure, if the whole God thing wax real..or if it's just, you know, bullshit!
Suddenly an old story came to mind.
I'm sure everybody is familiar with the story of Dorothy, a girl from Kansas who got sucked out of her window by a tornado and ended up in the magical land of Oz. Trying to find her way back home she talked to this one lady, who happened to be a witch, who told her to follow the yellow brick road and talk to the Wizard and that he would tell her how to get back home.
In the way, she befriended a Scarecrow who wanted a brain, a Tinman who longed for a heart, and a Cowardly Lion who wished for courage. Together, they came across dangerous obstacles, met the Wicked Witch of the West, and at the end they learned to trust each other and realized that what they wanted, they had within themselves all along.
What most people don't know is that originally, there was a fourth companion that got cut out of the story. The authors thought he was kind of a downer in the story and decided to get rid of his character all together.
This is his story..
One afternoon, while walking down the Yellow Brick road, Dorothy, looking at the green glittering on the horizon and pointing, said,
"Look, finally, Emerald City!
Suddenly, Dorothy stops and looks at Toto who was growling at something on the side of the road.
"What is it Toto?" Asked Dorothy alarmed.
In the tall grass, half-covered in vines, there was a shape. Not a man. Too tall to be a scarecrow. A brass figure, tarnished green, sitting with his knees up. Inside his chest, behind a smudged glass there was a storm lantern, unlit.
"Look guys, we have another friend " Said Dorothy excited.
Scarecrow ran over, already sympathetic. At the same time Scarecrow asked.
"A man? Made of Brass? , Are you stuck? What's your name friend?"
The brass man slowly lifted his head. His eyes flickered dimly. His voice was low, like radio static.
"My name is Dark Lantern, You can call me Mr Lantern, and how do you know I'm a friend, do you have proof of that?
The Tinman, knocking on his chest asked, "Do you need oil?'
"I don't need oil you fool!. I need proof!" Said Mr Lantern.
The Lion, leaning over whispered to Dorothy, "I don't like him, he's looking at me like I'm a coward, which maybe I am, but how would he know that?"
Dorothy kneeled down, wiped the leaves off his glass chest and asked him, "What's in there?
"Nothing. That's the point." And crossing his arms he continued, 'It's a lantern. They told me if I was good, if I waited, someone would come and light it. So I waited. No one came. So I decided light isn't real. It's just a story brass men tell rusted men. It's make believe '
Confused, Dorothy asked, " why were you sitting there all alone in the bushes?"
"I figured that since I don't think the light is true, what else have I been told that's not true? Why should I go west or east? Said Mr Lantern matter of factly. "I decided that until I had proof I would not take another step. "
"Come with us" Said The Scarecrow offering his hand. "The Wizard is going to give me a brain, maybe he can light your lantern".
Mr Lantern stared at the hand like it might be a trick. He didn't believe in help either.
"There's no Wizard who can light what's never been lit. I've done the logic plenty of times.'
"Then come and prove us wrong", Said Dorothy, " If you're right, you lose nothing"
Mr Lantern looked confused and after thinking about it, but still Skeptical, said. "That's the first logical thing I have heard all day, that is an acceptable parameter"
Mr Lantern was taller than Tin Man. Shoulder to shoulder, two metal brothers — one who thought he had no heart, the other who thought he had no light.
Mr Lantern didnt have proof that either walking ahead or behind was better, so he walked in between them, doubting every step of the yellow bricks beneath his feet.
After a long walk they finally reach Emerald City. At the end of the road they came up to a big white building with thick tall columns framing a thick red curtain.
Standing in front of the curtain Mr Lantern thought that at last he was going to have proof. Right behind the Red curtain was the famous Wizard of Oz.
Just when he was about to open curtain he thought that if he opened it and there was really The Wizard behind He would know everything. He would finally know. There would be no more believing. No more wondering. No more need for proof, no need for hope or for faith, or trust.
He would finally know.
On the other hand, He thought, What if there is no Wizard? what if there's an old man with a big keyboard typing commands into a big screen? He would be in the same spot as he was at the beginning. He still wouldn't know if there was a Wizard somewhere else or not.
Suddenly as if hit by lightning He thought..
"What if I don't open the curtain at all?"
"Maybe doubt isn't merely the absence of knowledge. Maybe it's the space where faith, hope, trust, and even wonder, exist."
"And perhaps the question is not whether I can finally know. Perhaps it's whether not knowing everything would actually give me something better than knowing it all"
They all looked as Mr Lantern slowly turned around, and looking at how the yellow of the bricks lit up like gold from the light coming from his chest, he waved good bye and smiling walked away without creaking.
And that's the last time anyone ever saw Mr Lantern in the Land of Oz.
