Every epic tale since time immemorial has always involved the hero going forth on a quest or a mission to rescue the princess, or to win a kingdom or to save his people from the enemy or an impending disaster. Along the way, he encounters all sorts of difficulties and obstacles. He is helped by a host of other people, many of them strangers. He is distracted by still many others, some of whom are close to him. In the process, he discovers himself and realizes that the quest was after all his own self-discovery. And in finding himself, he finds the redemption he started to seek when he first embarked on his journey.
Thus, it is in real life. We find ourselves only when we seek out the good of and in others. Only when we are able to go and survive the bottomless pit can we scale the heights of victory and success. It is our willingness to lose our life that we find and keep it, including often that of others.
It used to be that every birth is a welcome event. For, every child that is born could very well be the hero that his people have been waiting for. Every child is a wisp of hope, holding the promise of a brighter and better future.
Yes, even in the darkest nights (of the soul) and before the most frightening cross before us, there will always be the light beckoning us forth. There is always a reason for hope and redemption. The hero in us will out.
Therefore, let us rejoice and be glad.