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Before I Forget…
The German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, wrote a work called The Last Man . According to the philosopher, the "Last Man" is the man who, lulled by too much comfort and affluence, becomes apathetic to the world around him. He has no passion nor compassion. He rejects "religion, transcendent ideals, or causes larger than his own self-interest." In fact, the Last Man's life consists of nothing more than sitting in his easy chair and watching the world go by.
Maybe Nietzsche was describing the affluent people of "First World" countries like ours. And then, along comes September 11, 2001. The predatory behavior of Osama bin Laden and his terrorist fraternity has shaken the U.S. and indeed, most of the western world, out of a comfortable yet blind apathy. Our country is preparing for a war that no one really wants, but our leaders see no other alternative. It has become a scarier world by the day. Last week, I was flying home from southern Florida after my vacation. The taxi driver was stopped before barricades and armed security before we could approach the terminal. And this was a sleepy little town in Florida! While waiting for my luggage in Minneapolis, I met a parishioner who told me that it took over an hour just to go through security at Chicago's O'Hare Airport.
As we try to come to grips with what is happening to all of us, as we attempt to connect with everything that is happening in our world without being paralyzed by their enormity, hopefully the simple treasures of everyday life take on a special meaning. Do we realize the importance of family and friends? Are you making more time to play with your children? What about all the beauty around us in a Minnesota winter? Have you enjoyed the conservatory at Como Park lately? What about a good meal with people that you care about?
The fact that our Vikings have never won a Super Bowl seems ridiculously insignificant all of a sudden. Right NOW, could it be that the crucible we find ourselves thrown into could be offering us a glimpse of a new reality? An opening up of new opportunities? As American theologian, Carter Heyward puts it, "When we are in conflictual situations… and especially when some have been badly wounded by others, we are at the very heart of God…It is the moment…in which the Spirit urges us to walk away from the violence in search of a better way."
We have been jolted out of our apathy, and as we contemplate the possibility of war, we come face to face with what is of true meaning in our lives. Is it about financial security, stock prices and prosperity? Is that why God created us? Are we worried about how much tax we pay? Do we really trust God for our survival and not weapons of mass destruction? Trusting God does not mean calling on God, Yahweh, or Allah to intervene on our behalf. Trusting God is about searching within and among ourselves for a human response that is ultimately not about money or power, but in people and communities. As the 17th century English poet John Donne wrote: "No man is an island, entire of it self; every man is a piece of a continent, a part of the main; any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."
Father Bill
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