One of my favourite movies is Amadeus, a fictionalized account of the rivalry between Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang Mozart. Salieri is a man who has dedicated his life to God. He does so in a vain attempt to win God's favour. Salieri would give up all worldly pleasures. So God could make him the greatest composer ever. Salieri had a huge ego and felt he had the stuff to be God's messenger.
There was just one problem. Salieri was not God's chosen one. God chose to speak through the person of Mozart, someone who was a vulgar drunkard. Mozart was known for his dalliances with women in his circle. He played common music at bars. But Mozart had the ability to be the messenger of God. In his mind, Salieri knew that despite his promises of obedience to God, God had chosen someone else. And this someone else represented everything that Salieri stood against. The idea that God had tossed him aside for the other vile man, drove Salieri insane.
In the last scene of the movie, Salieri is being questioned by a priest in an insane asylum. Salieri, thinking that he had helped Mozart kill himself through drinking, rejects God. God had rejected him, so he would reject God. Salieri looks at his fellow inmates in the asylum and declares himself to be king.
I think this movie tells a wonderful fable. It deals with a common problem which vexes many. Why do some people who seem so unworthy prosper? Why do the good and righteous suffer? The answer that the movie gives us is that we just don't know. We will never know why some people lead fantastic lives though they don't deserve it. We will never know why some people suffer horrendously though they don't deserve too suffer. It is just one of the things that is.
And maybe it teaches that we should look at our own lives. In what ways have we been blessed more than we deserve. When have we suffered more than we think we should. I am sure that all of us can think of such times. It may not make sense to us. But the idea is that we should continue on.
