One of the themes that traveled from Greek philosophy through until the unfolding of modernity was the neoplatonic notion of "the One". A simple unity in which all "transcendentals" - beauty, truth, goodness - both originate and in some sense coalesce. In its patristic and medieval development, these transcendentals were "en-hypostasized" or made present in persons - the idea of the Trinity, where a communion of persons exist in perfect love, perfect peace and mutual self-offering: most importantly, a perfect unity in difference. All cultures have their formative myths and this particular myth made its mark on a broad swath of humanity over the centuries - though I think in ways that usually obscured its underlying meaning (unfortunately).
Now I have always identified with this comment of Dostoevsky: "I will tell you that I am a child of this century, a child of disbelief and doubt. I am that today and will remain so until the grave": sometimes more strongly than others. But myths are not about what we believe is "real" at any point in time. The meaning of these symbols I think says something for all of us today - particularly in the United States: that the essence of humanity may be best realized in a unity in difference that can only be realized through self-offering love. In political terms we are all citizens of one country and our obligation as a society is to care for each other. This much ought to be obvious - we cannot exclude one race, one economic class, one geography, one party, from mutual care. The whole point of our systems, in fact, ought to be to realize, however imperfectly, some level of that mutual care, of mutual up-building and mutual support.
That isn't happening today. Too often this we are engaged in the opposite - mutual tearing down and avoiding our responsibilities to each other. I wish there was a magic fix for this: it clearly has been a problem that has plagued our history for a long, long time. The one suggestion I can make is to find a way to reach out across boundaries with care on a day by day basis. Maybe that boundary is ethnic. Maybe it is political. Years ago I had a kind of "conversion" experience in my own life in how I saw the world after a careful re-read of Brothers Karamazov. I carry these words with me all the time now:
“At some thoughts one stands perplexed, especially at the sight of men’s sin, and wonders whether one should use force or humble love. Always decide to use humble love. If you resolve on that once for all, you may subdue the whole world. Loving humility is marvelously strong, the strongest of all things, and there is nothing like it.”
It may seem like a person cannot make a difference. No individual drop of rain thinks it is responsible for the flood.
Now I have always identified with this comment of Dostoevsky: "I will tell you that I am a child of this century, a child of disbelief and doubt. I am that today and will remain so until the grave": sometimes more strongly than others. But myths are not about what we believe is "real" at any point in time. The meaning of these symbols I think says something for all of us today - particularly in the United States: that the essence of humanity may be best realized in a unity in difference that can only be realized through self-offering love. In political terms we are all citizens of one country and our obligation as a society is to care for each other. This much ought to be obvious - we cannot exclude one race, one economic class, one geography, one party, from mutual care. The whole point of our systems, in fact, ought to be to realize, however imperfectly, some level of that mutual care, of mutual up-building and mutual support.
That isn't happening today. Too often this we are engaged in the opposite - mutual tearing down and avoiding our responsibilities to each other. I wish there was a magic fix for this: it clearly has been a problem that has plagued our history for a long, long time. The one suggestion I can make is to find a way to reach out across boundaries with care on a day by day basis. Maybe that boundary is ethnic. Maybe it is political. Years ago I had a kind of "conversion" experience in my own life in how I saw the world after a careful re-read of Brothers Karamazov. I carry these words with me all the time now:
“At some thoughts one stands perplexed, especially at the sight of men’s sin, and wonders whether one should use force or humble love. Always decide to use humble love. If you resolve on that once for all, you may subdue the whole world. Loving humility is marvelously strong, the strongest of all things, and there is nothing like it.”
It may seem like a person cannot make a difference. No individual drop of rain thinks it is responsible for the flood.
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