Are we Living in a Comedy or a Tragedy?

2020 has been an absolute whirlwind. I look around and think, “Are we living in some post-apocalyptic world?” People are wearing masks and avoiding one another, stock markets are crashing, racial injustice and social unrest is rampant, and for a while there, there wasn’t even any toilet paper in the shops!

It’s easy to lose hope during this time. It’s easy to want to throw in the towel, scoop out a giant bowl of ice cream, and plop down for our next Netflix binge. The world is falling apart at the seams, it seems, and what in the world can we do about it?

If you feel like our world is in a tragedy, a grand story that just ends badly, in death, you’re not alone. And yet…our hearts are yearning for healing, hope, and restoration.

You see, traditionally, tragedies always end in death, but a comedy…well, those end with a wedding. Perhaps you’ve read Shakespeare’s King Lear (spoiler: a tragedy), or a Midsummer Night’s Dream (spoiler: a comedy), or seen one of my favorite films, Stranger Than Fiction (spoiler: not telling! 😊). In this film, Will Ferrell plays Harold Crick, a real man who is also the main character in a fictional novel, written by Karen Eiffel (played by the venerable Emma Thompson). Whatever Eiffel writes, Harold hears. Imagine his confusion when, after simply resetting his watch, he hears, “Little did he know that this simple, seemingly innocuous act would result in his imminent death.” Imminent death?! Harold needs to figure out if his life is a comedy or a tragedy, and quick! Does his life end in death, or perhaps something a little more….wedding-y? 

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What about our world? Are we living in a comedy, or in a tragedy?

One quick look at 2020 might make us wholeheartedly conclude that we find ourselves in a down-and-out tragedy. But I humbly beg to differ. Our story can have a happy and hopeful ending...but how? 

Well, hear me out. Even though we are surrounded by tragic events – you know, the global pandemic, racial injustice, lack of toilet paper – this is not the end of the story. I believe that we are, in fact, in a comedy.

Can’t you feel it? That desire that there must be more to life than this? That there is a bigger picture, a brighter ending?

Well, there is! And it’s all because of the person of Jesus Christ. You see, his tragic death and glorious resurrection can not only give us hope for today, but an even brighter hope for tomorrow. In other words, Jesus can (and does!) bring healing, hope, and restoration to the lives and societies of those who call on his name today, and he will, one day, make all things new. The day will come when God will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and there will be no more mourning, and no more death, and God’s people will feast together, in peace, at the ultimate wedding banquet.

Perhaps we are in a divine comedy, after all! 

Questions for Further Reflection:

What do you think? Do you have an ultimate hope in your life? Do you hope for a bigger picture, a brighter ending? Are you living in a tragedy, or in a comedy?

Rebecca Fuller

Rebecca lives near Los Angeles, California and works in higher education as an international admissions counsellor. In her free time, Rebecca loves to bake and spend time with her dear friends and family.