Prophethood

In mid 2262, G’Kar is away and someone “liberates” the only copy of his memoirs. On his return to B5, he is a best selling writer and cultural icon. “G’Kar intended his book to be published after his death.” This situation is reminiscent of Monty Python – “I am NOT the Messiah!” “Lord, I say you are the Messiah and I should know; I’ve followed a few!” (Life of Brian). G’Kar is forced to confront the responsibility of being a religious leader. That would certainly be a great burden. I could recommend the book Join Me by Danny Wallace; it contains good advise for any inexperienced religious leaders (e.g. don’t let the girlfriend find out you’re a messiah).

G’Kar “They want me to chose them another way. What if I show then the wrong way? What if they come to me not because of the lesson but because of the teacher? I worry, Ta’Lon, that my shadow may become greater than the message.”
Ta’Lon (half joking?) “If that happens, I give you my word that I will personally kill you.”
G’Kar “This is supposed to put my mind at ease?”

There are probably many philosophers’ reputations that are bigger than their contribution. This leads to arguments from authority which can be pretty repetitive. For example philosophy slowed to a crawl for hundreds of years after the influential Greek philosophers.

He is also burdened by followers who don’t go beyond the superficial interpretation of the text. I could give many, many (many) examples from history of this – admittedly this applies beyond religious texts too. This is dealt with in one of my favourite quotes on religion:

Follower: Most holy….
G’Kar: (interrupts) There is no most holy here. There is only me. What is it?
Follower: I understand what you are saying, but in the book of G’Kar it says that the Centauri cannot be trusted.
G’Kar: When was that written in the book?
Follower: In the beginning.
G’Kar: Exactly. Over time I learned, as you will learn.
Follower: The book of G’Kar is holy. If it was written under the direct inspiration of the universe itself, as everyone believes it to be, then the whole of it must be true. How can you go against it?
G’Kar drops his face to his hand and sighs.

And after G’Kar answers the question “What is God?” with a nuanced monologue, the follower asks the same question again:

Follower: What is truth? And what is God?
G’Kar: (resigned, incincere and wearily) Truth is… a river.
Follower: And what is God?
G’Kar: God is the mouth of the river.
The followers look impressed.

He sometimes despairs of being understood by his followers.
Nietzsche: “Posthumous persons – myself for example – will be more poorly understood over time, but better heard. Worse: we will never be understood – and thus our authority…”
“And He said to them, Do you not yet understand?” Jesus (Mark 8:21)

G’Kars Teachings

G’Kar said “Our thoughts form the universe, they always matter” perhaps similar to Wittgenstein’s “5.6 The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.” (Tractatus).

G’Kar was invited to write the Declaration of Principles for a new alliance. A draft version read:

“The Universe speaks in many languages, but only one voice. … We agree to recognise this singular truth, and this singular rule: That we must be kind to one another, because each voice enriches us and ennobles us, and each voice lost diminishes us. We are the voice of the Universe, the soul of creation, the fire that will light the way to a better future. We are one.”

Kind of sentimental but it’s a start! It recognizes altruism as the primary value for sentient life.

G’Kar “If I take a lamp and shine toward the wall, a bright spot will appear on the wall. The lamp is our search for truth, for understanding. Too often we assume the light on the wall is God, but the light is not the goal of the search, it is the result of the search.”

This is a bit like the start of the famous allegory of the cave but in his version, we are the source of the light. This is reflected in reality by how each god is imagined by the believer in their own image.

Departure

G’Kar decides his celebrity has become destructive especially when his government gives him a choice: come to Narn to rule or to let them rule in his name. G’Kar: “I believe there is a time for enlightenment and a time for things to get done. I have become a distraction for our people.”

He decides to escape the responsibility by leaving and traveling in deep space. G’Kar: “So I have decided to go away. I will return when I’ve found a way to destroy [G'Kar as an icon] while keeping the message intact.” This departure is his last appearance in the TV series.

Jesus did depart from his disciples and promised to return but the other circumstances could hardly be more different. Jesus passed on his authority (or perhaps it was assumed) by religious leaders to rule in his name.

There is an obvious parallel with Nietzsche’s creation Zarathustra: “I now go away alone, my disciples! You too now go away and be alone! Thus I want it.” “Now I bid you lose me and find yourselves; and only when you have all denied me will I return to you.”

I think that completes my overview of G’Kar! I expect the next posting will be on the Minbari.

Anti Citizen One