Nikos Kazantzakis is best known for Zorba the Greek, considered his magnum opus. The Last Temptation of Christ and The Odyssey: A Modern Sequel brought him additional fame and solidified his literary reputation. He narrowly missed receiving the Nobel Prize for literature, losing to Albert Camus in 1957 by a single vote. On his tombstone on the island of Crete, his birthplace, are inscribed these words: “I hope for nothing. I fear nothing. I am free.”
These are bold words, chosen by a man who lived life boldly. It has a Nietzschean ring to it, not at all surprising since he admired the author of the Will to Power. In fact, he penned his philosophy dissertation on Nietzsche. By contrast, the Jesuit epitaph, marked by dates, is far more modest, inscribed by three simple words: natus (birth), ordinatus(ordination), mortus (death). The implication here is, “let God be the judge of the deceased’s life and character.”
The main problem with Kazantzakis’ inscription, dramatic as it may be, is that it is impossible to believe. This Greek writer and philosopher was also deeply involved in politics and was disillusioned with Soviet-style communism. No doubt he had hoped for better things on the political horizon and feared that these hopes might not be realized.
Hope and fear are bound to each other. If I hope to recover from an illness, I also fear that I might not. Not to hope or fear may indicate a condition of apathy, rather than boldness. It seems utterly contrary to human nature to live without either hope or fear. But for Kazantzakis, the avoidance of these two emotions means that he is “free.”
Yet, this freedom seems to be sterile and directionless. It seems to lack content. Kazantzakis was intensely creative and his epitaph reflects a condition that he, nor anyone else for that matter, could ever attain, though he may have desired it with all his being.
Life on earth is a pilgrimage. We are wayfarers, hoping to find direction and meaning in a world of troubles. Our hope is shadowed by the fear that the world might betray us. Life is a struggle filled with uncertainties and hidden enemies. We were made to hope for better things than what defines our present situation.
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