Ed, my old neighbour from Saskatchewan, phoned last week to wish me a happy birthday. He had to inform me I鈥檓 becoming a genuine antique with every birthday.聽 鈥淲hat did you want for your birthday and what did you get?鈥� Ed asked me. I had a list ready because my old neighbour has asked those same questions each year since I have known him. He needed to chew on my answer for at least five seconds.
I told Ed that as an antique I still wanted Freud鈥檚 primary needs met, which are to seek pleasure and to avoid pain. I also wanted another year when I didn鈥檛 lose my mind or control over my body. What I wanted and didn鈥檛 get was a smaller potbelly, fewer wrinkles and hair growth instead of baldness. It would have been great to become less dull and more upbeat, but it didn鈥檛 happen as a birthday gift. Nor did I become able to eat whatever I like without gaining weight. Last of all, even on my birthday, no one recognized me as talented or brilliant.
It didn鈥檛 take five seconds for Ed to tell me that if I bought lottery tickets, I could strike it rich, as money makes birthdays perfect. With lots of money I could travel around the world. When travelling I could go scuba diving, cliff diving and skydiving and if I didn鈥檛 come apart at the joints, crack, dent or chip, I would prove that I was a genuine antique. Ed assured me no one hears they are talented or brilliant from their family and friends even if it is their birthday.
The Bible tells us King Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his high officials, the military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. The daughter of his wife danced to entertain the king and his guests and she pleased them greatly. The king promised to give anything she wanted up to half his kingdom. The girl did not know what to ask the king for, so she asked her mother. Her mother told her to ask the king for the head of John the Baptist on a platter.
Her mother, the queen, hated John the Baptist because he had spoken out to the king telling him it was not lawful for the king to have his brother Philip鈥檚 wife. The queen had long wanted John killed, but the king arrested John and kept him in prison. The king did not want to kill John, whom the people held as a prophet. Herod himself felt John was a righteous and holy man.聽
When the girl asked for John鈥檚 head, the king was distressed, but he had vowed to give her what she asked for in front of his guests, so he did not refuse her request. He gave the orders and John's head was brought on a platter to the girl who gave it to her mother. It was a birthday that troubled Herod for years afterward. The queen was determined to get even. Her hate led to John鈥檚 execution. Murder is anger in action. Anyone who hates another person is a murderer. (1 John 3:15)
