The vessel

The vessel

In the History of Humanity, some episodes drive us into deep reflections.

In 1816, a French frigate ran ashore next to the Morocco’s coast.

There were no enough life-boats for everybody.

The wreckage of the ship was the only raft which kept the 149 people alive.

The storm kept them into open sea for more than 27days.

This dramatic experience impressed an artist, Theodoro Gericault, who made a substantial study of the details of this episode on a painting.

He interviewed the survivors, the sick, and even saw the dead ones. Feeling horrified, he reproduced the reality of humanity in a situation such as this one.

His painting, titled "The Raft of the Medusa", portrays not only the shipwreck of "The Medusa", occurred on 2nd July 1816, but it portrays an episode which provoked commotion  in the whole of France, and brought repercussions which touched the deepest feelings one can find in the human soul.

In the painting, one can see the different human behaviours which can be seen in crucial moments of people’s lives.

Some survivors are laying down, in total abandon, without a single reaction. It seems like they are waiting for the inevitable death.

Others, looking hopeless, are totally alienated. The distant look fixed in the emptiness shows they have lost interest in life and they will not fight death.

Some of them, however, keep faith above all. They take their shirts and agitate them with violence, fixing their eyes in a point on the horizon, as desiring to be seen by a ship, by someone.

Curious, however, is the fact that even if they agitate their vests with constancy, there is no boat to be seen. Nothing which indicated they would be rescued.

The boat is like the planet Earth. The members of the crew are Humanity, and the painting represents the attitudes each one takes when facing life.

We can be like the hopeless ones when we have to face difficult situations, and decide to just give up and do not fight at all.

We can be framed as the ones who believe there is no solution, and being like that, there is no point in making an effort to make things better.

We can also be the ones who doubt about everything and everyone. Or, finally, we can be the ones who keep hope above all. The ones who make an effort to achieve victory, even if it seems to be very, very far away.

After all, to decide for victory in any of the circumstances we have to face in a lifetime, is an attitude of hope.

*   *   *

When problems multiplies in the North, and challenges menace us form the South, difficulties show up in the East and danger increases in the West, hope comes and solves all problems.

God’s messenger, it becomes the best companionship of human beings; it serves goodness.

It is hope that, before war scenes, acclaims work and peace.

During harsh winters, it inspires courage and show us the springy season, which soon will explode in colours, perfume and beauty.

Never let hope get away from you!

Text written by the Spiritist Moment Team, based on text received on the internet, with no author mention, and in chapter 19 of the book Perfis da vida, by the Spirit Guaracy Paraná Vieira, psychographed by Divaldo Pereira Franco, publishing House: Leal.