In the last entry there was something that came to mind, but which I didn’t write about. I’ve been thinking about it since. And that is that just as much as there are things to cause wonder and delight in this world, there are also things to cause horror and despair. I sometimes just can’t figure out how it can all be the same world. How can these things all be real at the same time? From time to time, I get sort of reality disorientation. There are such extremes in this world, beauty and joy; evil and suffering. And sometimes I think even more difficult to fit into the picture with the first two is the trite, frivolous; stupid and mean.
Even though I believe that the destiny for our planet is a peaceful civilization of material and spiritual prosperity for everyone, still in trying to understand the vision for this in the Bahá’í Faith, I find myself not knowing how to fill my head. I am not able to face very much of the suffering and evil in the world. I know it is weak and disrespectful of me not to inform myself about it more, and I hope that at some point I will reach the stage where learning about injustice will feed the fire of my motivation to serve. At the same time I was thinking, after the last post, that the beauty of this planet existed long before we created guns or drugs (think how amazing it would be to walk around in a primeval forest), and will exist long after we have stopped using them to harm each other and ourselves (our treatment of the environment not withstanding). This dynamic, vigorous, living beauty is the backdrop against which we are playing out this drama of suffering and civilization building. The beauty and order in nature are a pure sign of the will of God, because nature does not have the volition that can lead it to deviate from God’s will. And maybe we can draw from it energy and strength for the struggle that we humans face in living out God’s will in our individual and collective lives.
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1 comment:
Hi Sashwee
If informing ourselves about suffering and evil in the world means following the contents of the media I am sure we should not consider it a weakness to remain uninformed. There is evil in the world, and there is reporting of evil (repeating the evil if you will), which kind of makes the evil seem bigger than it is. It serves no constructive purpose to fill our heads with information about current evils. In the West we have had one major terrorist attack this year, and yet we have to hear about terrorism 365 days per year, and several times each day on top of that. Maybe being informed about evil means worrying about causes of evil, and how to avoid it. Not following current events from the entire world. Don't know if that makes any sense to you.
Now, I am no member of the NRA, but I am not a vegetarian either, and if I had to go for a walkabout in a primeval forest I would probably stand a better chance at providing for my family with a weapon. Mother Nature is not without teeth :o) Would we, as humans, have survived without the ability to use weapons? Without teaming up against predators?
I'd love to hear your comments.
Love,
Nef
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