Prometheus god of foresight, knowingly sacrificed himself for the sake of humankind. He knew that Zeus would be furious and punish him; he stole fire for mankind anyway.
But what about Abraham, ready to obey God's cruel demand that he sacrifice his son, Isaac?
Unlike vengeful Zeus, God at the last minute relented and sent an angel to tell Abraham so ... It was all a test, he said, which supposedly makes it all OK.
How did Isaac feel about that? Could he ever really trust his father ... or God ... after that, or trust in Love?
What if Abraham had stood up to God and said, 'Not my son! I sacrifice myself willingly, but not my son!'
I think that Prometheus might have had the courage and heart to do that, to protect his child from God.
Thinking about Abraham's readiness to sacrifice his child (as I sometimes do), I wonder, who we are willing to sacrifice and to what, to whom? Who are we prepared to sacrifice for what we believe is a higher cause, or more likely, in obedience to authority, to conformity, to what we have been taught is right and good though it may not be ... for career, prestige, money, our right to bear arms, for example? What do we sacrifice even now, consciously or without even realising? A dream? our self-respect? A family member... a child...the safety of our children?
Art:
Prometheus by Gioacchino Assereto, and Ancient Greek image.
Sacrifice of Isaac by Caravaggio
Sacrifice of Isaac by Caravaggio