The fruit of some reflection, rather hastily put together, more philosophical
than anything else, it is nevertheless intended as an Easter reflection.
Physicists make it very clear
that earth is destined eventually, in another few billion years, to be swallowed
up in fire by the sun. At the same time they tell us that the whole universe is
destined to a silent, unmoving, cold death—without a specific calendar date!
Add to that the fact that much of what happens at the macro-economic and
geo-political level today is meaningless at best and that most of us will be
forgotten by the world and by our descendants after less than 100 years. Enough? We have more than enough reason to view the
world through dark glasses. Nothing new. The Jewish people, a fundamental
source for Western thought, have a long
tradition of questioning God. Just think
of Job and also Jesus’ cry on the cross: “Why have you abandoned me?”
Nevertheless, I invite you to
read on: there is more.
First of all, the final
destiny of the Earth may not be measured by its fiery death in the sun. The Earth
disappears but its elements are still there, ready to be transformed by the sun
into something else. What? In the
longest term, we don’t know. Also, there is more happening on the Earth today
than just macro-economics and geo-politics. Even as species are extinguished
and the global temperature rises, new species and new forms of life are being
created. In everyday life, while there is a lot of selfishness, there is also a
lot more generosity and struggle for dignity.
While our lives and the whole
history of Earth and the Universe may be only a blip in the story of time,
there just might be a larger context. If you look around, every example of
death turns out, I have found, to be a transformation. It is a rule so grounded
in the story of the Earth and of the Universe, that I suggest driving it to the
limit. This is a question of “option.” There is no evidence that there is more
than a destiny of fiery, cold, or forgotten death. Yet there is an option and
that option can make all the difference, at least for us: We can decide that
there is more and we can build our lives around that belief that there is more.
Some moderns would say that we “give” meaning to all that by our option; In
medieval times, people believed rather that they “discovered” that meaning. In
many ways, both are true and both may be required for the option to operate.
The option I propose is not absurd; Given the choice
between Metal and Mozart, ultimately, ultimately, I prefer Mozart. It is Pascal’s wager. Medievalists called it
an “act of faith.”
I have opted to believe that
God is good. That’s a big one, I admit, but for me, it’s the starting point. While I do not question
the existence of God, I certainly question what God we are talking about. For
neoliberals God is money; for many politicians God is power; for hedonists, God
is pleasure. For me, as an option I choose, God is total self-giving for the
good of the other: much like the love of a mother for her child. This is not an irrational option; it is a
choice that changes my horizon, frames my life and the world as I experience
it. Where I got that idea can be left to your imagination. In some ways, it
really doesn’t matter where it came from so much as having arrived there. I give
meaning to my life and my world by my option, but that option also enables me
to discover (receive) meaning where I would have least expected it.
I have looked carefully at
other options. Some of them are extremely attractive but none show enough
holding power to keep me steady. (I should add add that living my option turns
out to be much less coherent than my conviction about the option!) I will
continue believing life (Life) is good and that death is merely a step along a path
in which nothing is lost–not a single sparrow! Does this have anything to do
with Spring-time and with Easter? I hope
so.
