THE TROPHY ON THE WALL

An ordinary life consists of chasing trophies- things that are precious but yonder- with the aim of bringing them home to your wall. The ‘trophy on the wall’ connotation likely arose from the hunting expeditions that were commonplace a century ago but frowned upon now and rightly so. For one who would go to Africa and hunt an impossible animal and bring home its head and hang it on the wall, it was a notable achievement. In today’s context, though ‘trophy on the wall’ in terms of a hunt is less common, bringing a trophy to one’s home and life is still active and very much the norm in the normal journey of life. This could include an expensive one of a kind purchase, a dream vacation to an exotic destination, a top job, and a powerful position, among many things.

There are usually three phases in this journey. The first is one of longing and desire, where man desperately seeks the trophy because he has seen others have it and he does not. It becomes to him the most valued possession on earth and that for which he would do anything to obtain. This is usually the longest phase and the more difficult a trophy is to obtain, the more the time one spends longing for it and working to attain it. For most, life is in fact a journey of chasing trophies. Some spend a lifetime moving toward their trophy but never attaining it. 

For those who manage to get to their goal and bring the trophy home to their wall, the next phase is one of excitement. This is the phase of satisfaction, of Oscar awards like speeches where one thanks everyone including the dog at home, of intense boasting, of receiving adulation from enamored fans and of celebratory parties. If it is a physical trophy, one looks at it several times a day, admiring its beauty and congratulating oneself for getting there. For all trophies, whether physical or not, there is repetition within oneself, thoughts about the trophy, making it a treasured possession within one’s heart. How man longs for this phase to last forever! But it does not.

Just when he thinks that he has reached the summit of achievement and glory in which he can bask forever, the excitement quickly slips away. He enters the third phase of despondency. The trophy somehow has lost its glitter. He no longer feels the glow and the pride associated with it. And sure enough, when that happens, it is despondency because he had pinned his hopes on his trophy to deliver satisfaction and it didn’t. He had thought that obtaining the trophy was what life was and it wasn’t. 

The words of John come to mind,

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.  For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.(1John 2:15-17)

It is without doubt a harsh command when John asks us not to love the world despite living in this world. He talks of three types of trophies that man chases consequent to his desire to love the world, which is synonymous with not having love for God. The lust of the flesh indicates the many cravings that characterize man’s life here on earth. The lust of the eyes is at work when man sees, that which is attractive, and then starts desiring it for himself. The pride of life refers to the many possessions that man obtains about which he boasts. John advises that these desires do not have their origin from God and so will pass away and cannot satisfy. The only answer to being content is to seek God as a priority and live for him and therein is eternal life and fulfillment.

For the man who did get the trophy on his wall, the search for fulfillment would need to continue and without learning from his experience, he invariably and tragically starts the journey for yet another trophy.

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