Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms— to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances . . .
The year was 1937 and much of Europe was on the brink of what would become World War II. Thirty-two year-old Viktor Frankl, an Austrian born Jew, was practicing psychiatry in Vienna, Austria. When Germany annexed Austria in 1938, he was forced to close his practice but continued to work in the only hospital that admitted Jews. Anti-Semitism escalated and in 1942 he, his young wife and extended family were sent to the Theresienstadt concentration camp where his father died in 1943. Within three years, Frankl was moved between four concentration camps, including Auschwitz, where, unknown to him. his mother was exterminated and his brother died working as a slave laborer. His wife later died in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Only after liberation in 1945 did he learn that his entire family had died in concentration camps except for one sister who had escaped to Australia.
After the war, Frankl went on to have a very successful career as a psychotherapist and authored 39 books. Perhaps the most famous was Man’s Search for Meaning.*
While a prisoner, Frankl formulated what would become the mantra of his life:
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. In our response lies our growth and freedom.”
His words ring true today—every battle we fight begins in our mind. Claiming ownership of our thoughts is key to our efforts to “reset” our minds in the middle of so much uncertainty.
In the movie, “The Dead Poet’s Society, Robin Wil- liams plays the role of John Keating who has been hired as an English teacher at an all-male prep school. In his efforts to encourage the boys to make their lives extraordinary, one day he climbs to the top of his desk, inviting his students to do the same. The lesson to be learned—the room looks different from another vantage point: look at life from a different perspective.
Perhaps that is what we need to do—figuratively stand on the desk—look at our present situation from another perspective—realizing that God does his best work with people under duress.
Paul lived in crisis as did the chosen twelve. So did Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Esther, David, Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, the list continues. Even Jesus said,
“In this world you will have tribulation, but I have overcome the world.”
My mother passed from this life just shy of her 97th birthday. Born in 1919 she had lived her life with a strong faith and determination to make the best of every situation. A few years before her death she was visiting with us and stated very pragmatically, “I’m not sure why I am still alive— most of my friends are dead. I guess there is something else I need to learn”,
There may be a very real tendency to regard the swirling and often unpredictable events of our lives as threats that may harm and perhaps defeat us. That is quite understandable, and our initial response is to survive and do the best we can to protect ourselves and others—therefore the hoarding of toilet paper. However I feel there is also an additional perspective from which to view our current life events. We can choose to regard them not only as events to survive, but as divine acts of blessing that God has allowed into our lives for our growth—to view them from the desk- top so to speak. If this is the case we can proceed with hope, even curiosity, and emerge not only wiser but stronger.
Perhaps the best question is not “why” but “what else do I need to learn?”
The apostle James said it this way,
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when- ever you face trails of many kinds, be- cause you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4
Resources
*Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning, available at amazon.com and abebooks.com
Tom Schulman, Dead Poet’s Society, 1989. Available at amazon.com
Ben McEvoy, “7 Lessons Learned from Man’s Search for Meaning By Viktor E. Frankl”
Biblical References: John 16:33, James 1:2-4, Romans 8:37, Romans 5:1-5, Luke 12:28
Food for Thought: If you stand on the figurative “desk” for a few minutes and observe events of the past year from that perspective, do lessons come into view that you still need to learn?