In recent days I have felt more cynical and pessimistic than I have at any point in my life. I don’t believe that it’s a place in which I can allow myself to stay. I would be foolish not to acknowledge that there are depths of humanity that shouldn't be pondered or dismissed as insignificant.
The Christmas Holidays are among the most difficult for me to summarize in regards to an overall sense of happiness. It’s not that I don’t appreciate the exchanging of gifts, or enjoy spending time with my family. Even if I cringe by the tenth time I’ve heard the same carol, I am glad to be reminded of the Christmas story. The thing that causes me the most frustration is this; if the whole thing is really about celebrating the birth of our Saviour, then we have failed in every single way.
Some of my closest friends (geographically speaking) have long since ceased to measure time by hours and minutes, but instead by how long it takes to empty a Texas Mickey. Obviously this is not an occurrence that exclusively manifests itself at Christmas time, but it does become their excuse to consume alcohol without restraint. Society as a whole can’t rightfully be grouped with those who partake in frivolous rituals for no other purpose than self gratification, but neither would it be considered unrealistic to do so. We have become quite adept at understanding cause and effect when the results are instantaneous. I would suggest that not only are we unable to fully comprehend the relevance our actions have in regards to eternity, but we also have a tendency to believe that our actions are perfectly justifiable.
People generally describe things as they would like it to have been, but not at all as it really was. –Leo Tolstoy
This creates an almost flawless projection of reality. I’m not one to preach about the ability of an individual to interpret reality in such a way that they only experience positivity. I am persuaded that an ideal that can’t possibly be fulfilled is by definition a fantasy. How then, do we view the world in light of all its suffering and injustice? Personally I don’t think we need to look any further than events such as the genocide that took place in Rwanda in 1994. The world turned a blind eye. Indifference has become our default vantage point. The question is what are we going to do about it? We spend billions of dollars to save baby seals, but simultaneously force thousands of people to file for bankruptcy. The truth is that the proper response to the issue is really quite trivial in relationship to the role in which each person plays in history.
My basic presupposition is that I must do everything in my power to do the things that appear to be most right. Certainly there are parameters whereby that preoccupation must abide or else the world would be perpetual anarchy. Some would say that compromises should be made for the benefit of the whole. The concept is genius, but the premise is flawed. If it wasn’t for the conscience discernment between moral absolutes the separation of the rational from the irrational is essentially an exercise in futility. We could debate theoretical and historical scenarios wherein men were either judged as righteous or condemned for their actions, but King Solomon said it best:
“Fear God. Do what He tells you. Eventually God will bring everything that we do out into the open and judge it according to its hidden intent, whether it’s good or evil.” -Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
