Perseus and the Wedding Feast at Cana

Mulder is a lost soul. He is forever in search of that which will give meaning to his life, enable him to understand all that he has experienced and holds important. He catches glimpses of it often enough, sometimes indisputedly so. But always he is left without that tangible proof that would prove conclusively to the world that he has been right all along.

Mulder's chasing around after shadows is nothing less than the modern condition. For a culture that has dispensed with the myths of antiquity, there can be nothing but conspiracy theories and wild goose chases. Always there is enough ambiguity for those who are so-minded to see Ancient Aliens lurking around every corner; never is there tangible, physical evidence.

Despite the desperation that simmers just below Mulder's surface, in actual fact, the finding of incontrovertible evidence would be destructive to his own sense of self and what he sees as his position and purpose in the world. Look at his reaction to the closing of the X Files after Season One; apathy, depression, self-doubt. Without the chase, Mulder becomes almost less than ordinary.

Once upon a time, in our small, close-knit communities, we would sit around the camp fire and listen to the bards and the poets weave fantastic stories of heroes and great deeds. If the need ever arose, our forefathers and foremothers would rise to the task of emulating the feats of bravery and sacrifice they'd heard about over a mug of mead. For, once upon a time, the stories were the point.

The stories taught our ancestors all they needed in order to live lives of meaning and purpose. There was no need to ask if the Gorgon really existed; only marvel at the bravery of Perseus and his resourcefulness in overcoming the monster (cf. Christopher Booker The Seven Basic Plots). There was no need to ask if Jesus really turned the water into wine; only share in the spirit of revelry and delight in the ceremony that joined man and woman together to produce the offspring that would continue the stories into the future. Once upon a time, the stories were all that were needed.

Mulder represents an age that has lost, due to its own stupidity in believing rationalism would solve problems that didn't exist until life was lived rationally, its connection to the stories. For Mulder does nothing but ask if the Gorgon exists and doesn't at all believe that Jesus turned the water to wine.

When no one listens to the stories for the sake of the story then all that's left is a search for a truth which is out there. Only immerse yourself in the wonders and dangers, the sacrifices and the overcomings of the story and you will find that the truth lies, not out there where it can be empirically tested, but inside yourself, where it has always been.