One of my favorite mythological stories is the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice. This ancient tragedy features Orpheus a young poet who falls in love with Eurydice, a beautiful young woman. Eurydice tragically dies (through a snake bite traditionally, but voluntarily in modern retellings) and goes down to the underworld Hades. Orpheus is overcome with grief and pursues her. He plays a song so beautiful that even Lord Hades himself is moved. Hades allows them to leave the underworld but places a condition on their journey. Orpheus must walk ahead and cannot look back to verify that Eurydice is following. If he looks back she will go back to the underworld and this time for good. Unfortunately, at the last minute, Orpheus’s confidence fails him and he turns back to see Eurydice only to have her vanish.
This sad tale nevertheless teaches principles that resonate deeply with the Gospel. I want to touch on three such themes.
In doing so, I am also going to quote from Hadestown which is a phenomenal modern musical based on this story.
1) The Song of Redeeming Love
First of all, the power of Orpheus’s song of love is able to thaw even the heart of the Lord of the Underworld. Even death cannot separate the love that he has for her. No matter why Eurydice ended up in the underworld, whether through a tragic accident beyond her control or through her own choosing, it doesn’t matter. Orpheus is still able to reach out to her.
Love is the ultimate power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The plan of Salvation is built on the love of the father and it is designed to redeem all of God’s children. The atonement of Jesus Christ is offered in love because God so loved the world. His love can redeem us, change us, and transform us. Because of His love none of us are beyond hope or mercy.
Like the song of Orpheus, the song of redeeming love has the power to “to fix what’s wrong, [t]ake what’s broken, make it whole” and to “bring the world back into tune, back into time, and all the flowers will bloom.”
So why are we often so quick to doubt the power of the song of redeeming love? Why do we not trust our ability to be redeemed and to be transformed? And why do we deny others that same opportunity?
If we truly understood the power of the song of redeeming love, then we would have confidence in ourselves and in others. We would trust that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” We would have confidence that “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8).
When others stray or make choices that distance themselves from the love of the God, we can trust in the power of the song of redeeming love to bring them back even from the jaws of hell itself.
I am reminded of the beautiful teaching that Orson F. Whitney ascribed to the Prophet Joseph Smith:
“The Prophet Joseph Smith declared—and he never taught a more comforting doctrine—that the eternal sealings of faithful parents and the divine promises made to them for valiant service in the Cause of Truth, would save not only themselves, but likewise their posterity. Though some of the sheep may wander, the eye of the Shepherd is upon them, and sooner or later they will feel the tentacles of Divine Providence reaching out after them and drawing them back to the fold. Either in this life or the life to come, they will return. They will have to pay their debt to justice; they will suffer for their sins; and may tread a thorny path; but if it leads them at last, like the penitent Prodigal, to a loving and forgiving father’s heart and home, the painful experience will not have been in vain. Pray for your careless and disobedient children; hold on to them with your faith. Hope on, trust on, till you see the salvation of God.”
Such is the power of the song of redeeming love.
2) We must press forward and not look back
Orpheus is required to walk straight out of Hades without looking back. As he does so, “doubt comes in.” Orpheus begins to doubt that the future could be brighter. He despairs and loses hope in the the promise of better days ahead. He no longer “see[s] the way the world could be.”
Do we sometimes despair likewise. Do we lose sight of what our lives could be like Orpheus or like Lot’s wife from the Bible?
As Elder Holland explaining when discussing Lot’s wife: “So a more theological way to talk about Lot’s wife is to say that she did not have faith. She doubted the Lord’s ability to give her something better than she already had. Apparently, she thought that nothing that lay ahead could possibly be as good as what she was leaving behind.”
Orpheus falls pray to this same weakness. But his failing is even more relatable and tragic. He is not overcome with longing for the underworld, but with uncertainty about the love that he has experienced and doubt about his capacity to lead the way to the surface.
In other words, he doubts both his own ability and the devotion of those whom he loves.
On his journey, he feels utterly and totally alone.
But the truth is that he was never once alone.
As Eurydice sings to her lover,
“Orpheus
You are not alone
I am right behind you
We’re all behind you
And I have been all along
We have been all along
The darkest hour
Of the darkest night
Comes right before the [spring]”
Like Orpheus, we have the support of so many. From beyond the veil a chorus sings to us urging us continue onward. Those who have come before and those yet to be born pray for us and for our success. We need only lift our heads up rather than back and we will see as Elisha told his servant “Those with us are more than those with them.”
The odds may at times seem small. The distance we must travel can seem great. But with all of the help that we have on our side, we can make it back to our Heavenly Father’s kingdom.
3) We do not truly walk alone. Christ has forged the lonely path before us. Because of him, we can make it.
Third, Orpheus was forced to walk a lonely road that no one had ever walked before.
Sometimes it may feel that way for us as well.
But the truth is that there is one person who has already walked that lonely road before us.
Our Savior Jesus Christ forged the way for us. He walked the lonely road into the garden and onto the cross. He experienced despair, abandonment, and sorrow. He experienced everything that we could ever experience. And he did so in order that we would not have to ever be alone or comfortless.
As Elder Holland explained.
“Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so. His solitary journey brought great company for our little version of that path—the merciful care of our Father in Heaven, the unfailing companionship of this Beloved Son, the consummate gift of the Holy Ghost, angels in heaven, family members on both sides of the veil, prophets and apostles, teachers, leaders, friends. All of these and more have been given as companions for our mortal journey because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the Restoration of His gospel. Trumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone nor unaided, even if sometimes we may feel that we are.”
Christ forged the way forward for us. Indeed, he is the way. Because of him, we can have confidence that we can make it back to our Father in Heaven.
As the Chorus in Hadestown echoes,
“Show the way so we can see
Show the way the world could be
If you can do it, so can she
If she can do it, so can we
Show the way
Show the way the world could be
Show the way so we believe
We will follow where you lead
We will follow with you
Show the way.”
Christ showed us the way. Because he conquered death and rose from the grave, we can have confidence that we will likewise make it. With his help, we will not falter.
And if we do look back. If we do make a mistake. We can be confident that Christ will cover for our mistakes and ensure that all that is lost or ruined will be made right through his atonement.
I am grateful that Christ walked to road before us and made a path for us. His infinite and perfect love is all encompassing. He is the way. Because of him we need not look back but can have confidence that the “future is as bright as [out] faith.