William Shakespeare was a literary genius. His ability to develop characters and twist plots is legendary. In his pastoral comedy, As You Like It, the Bard of Avon places on the lips of the melancholy Jacques this famous and perceptive monologue concerning life, “All the world is a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being changes.” (2.7.146) Alas, such is life on this spinning globe, or should I say, grand earthly stage.
In the following pages, it is my desire to elevate Shakespeare’s definitive assessment of life’s expansive drama to a higher plain. The stage on which we are living out our lives is greater than we can imagine and more majestic than we can appreciate. Furthermore, the fine wooden boards on which we dance, sing, and deliver our lines are nothing less than heaven’s platform. All of heaven, as well as earth, is a stage, and there is not an empty seat in this celestial auditorium.
Accordingly, our value as human beings is not determined by this world but by this very simple truth: we have all been cast in a tale larger than ourselves. We all play a part that only we can fill. To know this truth is to begin to hear the heart of the Director of heaven. To live this truth is to dance life’s greatest jig. Let us travel back to our opening scene.
When the earthly curtain rose in our first moments, a much-anticipated tale of adventure began. To begin with, the doctor and nurses attending our mother were not alone in the room. Angels, filled with excitement, crowded in to witness the event. These supernatural beings directed the stage lights as skilled musicians tuned their instruments in the orchestra pit. The beat of a kettle drum grew louder until our first cry caused the stringed instruments to leap into action. The woodwinds followed, dancing along with the cries of our protest from being ripped from the warmth of our mother’s womb. A golden harp played softly as the nurse laid us gently on our mother’s chest. A new member had joined the troupe of God’s great redemptive story.
Medical professionals, oblivious to the presence of these heavenly beings, performed their duties as the great drama of a life began. The angels held their breath in anticipation of which heavenly spirit would be assigned to our care. Jockeying for position, they all had their hands thrust in the air. Perhaps, I have allowed my imagination to run wild, but regardless, we know that God was in the room, and he was excited about our arrival.
Likewise, it matters not the circumstances surrounding our arrival. With each new baby comes a life full of potential, and with every child there is a tale to be told. Rich or poor, wanted or unwanted, we have all been fashioned for a very specific purpose. Unbeknown to us, we have all been in the spotlight of the Playwright’s glorious production from the very beginning. We were created for the glory of God, and long before our first breath, the Lord knew us intimately.
David, the sweet Psalmist of Israel, picked up his quill and wrote down one of the most beautiful revelations concerning the Lord’s knowledge of those he created. He writes, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” The thought was overwhelming to David. Every detail of his life was fully known by his Creator before his first breath.
Furthermore, he mused, “O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it all together.”
David could not make a move or think a thought without the Director’s knowledge. Wherever he journeyed, the Lord was fully present, even in his lowest moments and especially in his worst times. “If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.” David worked himself into a crescendo of praise, declaring with astonishment, that he, a lonely shepherd boy, was “fearfully and wonderfully made.”
As thrilled as our parents were to welcome us into their home, heaven’s excitement was greater. Angels sat on the edge of their seats, listening for our first words and watching our first steps. Furthermore, our appearance on life’s stage was no surprise to the Director. He did not have to scramble to find us a part. God passed no one aside to make room for us. He had a perfect role designed according to our natural gifts.