Man was made for Joy and Woe;
and when this we rightly know,
thro' the world we safely go.
Joy and Woe are woven fine,
a clothing for the soul divine.
This passage from William Blake's Auguries of Innocence reminds us of the light and its complementary darkness that compose the outer form as well as the inner essence of much of our lives on earth. Many of us are blessed with a cheerful disposition so that we can confront life's inevitable vicissitudes with relative composure. We know intuitively that all will be well on a deeper level with a degree of certainty greater even than that of Dame Julian of Norwich. In the type of person I am describing, the state of mind is joyfully intuitive and possibly a little too comfortable. Julian, as a great Christian mystic, knew that there was much disorder in the world but that God was nevertheless in control, and that his love would in due course fill the world with caring as a new order of relationships was born.
In other words, while a mystic could divine the great harmony that governed the cosmos that could not be disrupted by human action, even at its most destructive, they knew intuitively that human beings had to play their part in this transition from destructiveness to harmony. By contrast, the sanguine, or cheerful, type of person has only a limited insight into the world's workings and their personal relationships with the needs and controls which govern those workings of the Divine power that holds all material things in balance and harmonious rhythm. There is a higher order that controls the world's present chaos, but we ourselves are usually so concerned with our own troubles and ambitions that we are largely oblivious of our own immediate surroundings, let alone the larger universe that provides the key to the meaning of life and the way to eternity, an eternity revealed spontaneously to the mystic.
This type of person, as typified by Julian of Norwich and William Blake, has a natural gift from God enabling them to view eternal reality in the form of time and space in the present moment. So Blake would say in Auguries of Innocence:
To see a World in a Grain of Sand,
and a Heaven in a Wild Flower;
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
and Eternity in an hour.
A superficially cheerful type of individual seldom starts their worldly journey with much insight, as I have already intimated.
Living is mostly sunshine for them, especially in their youth when they are well cared for by a loving family. To be well nurtured as a young person used to be taken for granted, at least in polite and caring society and in the pages of the famous novels of the past era. Of course, the indignities of poverty rarely penetrated the consciousness of the rich and happy who had never seen the equivalent of fear, anger, envy, and deceit, while the tragedy of fatal disease was quietly brushed under the carpet of respectable life.
Life, however, has an invariable way of hitting back so as to disembarrass us of our illusions. If only things could always be as they were in our childhood, or after our conversion to religious faith or at the birth of our children (by far the loveliest of all babies!). This state of elation lasts for too short a period of time. Before we have had enough time really to enjoy our happiness, our triumph, the beauty of the world around us, an ominous pall of darkness rapidly approaches us and soon has us enfolded in its chilly grasp. In the darkness we begin to see the truth that illuminates the glory that for a time truly seemed to confront us: that all triumph is ephemeral dust, and death with dissolution is the common end of all that lives. In this respect, a biologist would accept
(a) growth;as the features of life that have led to the perpetuation of the species, as far as we humans can judge this delicate issue. Is there any enduring principle to identify the living mass of tissue that we call a human, an animal, a plant, or even a parasitic worm? And if these do have a relevance peculiar to themselves, what does this relevance contribute to the world at large?
Why is the world occupied by so motley a throng of living forms ranging from the inspired human at their most glorious to the most pernicious bacteria that spread lethal disease? And yet again, is this lethal organism any more dangerous than the human who is mentally unbalanced, and who subsequently invades a classroom of children with a shotgun to aim indiscriminately and in uncontrollable rage at the children and in the process kills a considerable number of them? Is this act one of a criminal or of a psychotic maniac, and is the appropriate place of detention a mental hospital rather than a criminal cell? It all depends on whether one considers the person who committed this appalling action as severely mentally ill or as simply a hate-filled, inadequate human whose past history of loveless treatment and gross neglect has made them so envious of their contemporaries that they suddenly erupt in maddened fury as they consider their own misfortune. And what about the hate-filled individual who attains the leadership of a whole country, nation, or religious group: an individual typified by Adolf Hitler and many others in this century and earlier ones?
If one activity ought to bring humanity close to its divine roots, it is worship. Yet more cruelty and moral perversion has been carried out in the name of religion than in any other human activity. The God worshipped by so many people seems to be demonic rather than divine, and the more demonic that god shows himself or herself, the more votaries does he or she attract.
Voltaire parodied the indiscriminate optimism in Candide with the words of the over-enthusiastic Dr Pangloss, "All is for the best in the best of possible worlds" ("Tout est pour le mieux dans le meilleur des mondes possibles"). The model for Dr Pangloss was the famous German philosopher Leibniz, but this comfortable view of the universe has been repeated in all ages among the complacent majority. Only those who are aware of the tragedy that overhangs all human relationships and separates the light from the darkness can learn that everything, no matter how remote it now seems, will have its day of reckoning, leaving an indelible stain of suffering as a memento of its advent.
In the wake of confusion and terror, disaster and despair we may catch a glimpse of how we really appear to ourselves, but the truth would be too cruel to tolerate for more than a very brief period of time. But how do we appear to others while in the grip of these terrible events, both internal and external? The truth is much less embarrassing. We do not appear very special to other people at all, because they tend to be centred on themselves almost exclusively. In other words, the world-view of most humans, including ourselves, is personally self-centred and socially parochial. When misfortune strikes, it at least has the cardinal virtue of elevating us beyond total self-absorption to a deeper awareness of the problems and tragedies of other people, so that we can by stages draw closer to the common membership we all share with creatures of the human race.
It is a disconcerting rule that prosperity tends to separate people whereas we all share in common poverty. The poverty of which I speak is not necessarily economic. It could quite as easily embrace social distinction, ill-health, or religious intolerance by a dominant group. The only wealth which alone is worth having is the wealth of the spirit which is, in fact, nothing else than the knowledge of God. This is the pearl of great price that Jesus spoke about in Matthew 13.46. A merchant looking for fine pearls found one of special value, so he went out and sold everything he had and bought it. To acquire this pearl one may have to part with so many earthly treasures that one is, indeed, reduced to a state of dire poverty. Only then may one be sufficiently cleansed of personal desire to be worthy to receive the priceless pearl which is a symbol of God's eternal presence as a cleansing, renewing love and wisdom. When we are full of our own wisdom, we are really empty of true understanding, because our own wisdom is an amalgam of worldly knowledge, personal prejudice, and ludicrous misinformation.
In this very familiar state of mind we are confused, bewildered, and deeply unhappy. Even if we staunchly believe that the world is going right generally, and for us personally, this response to the affairs of both the world generally, and ourselves specifically, is governed by our worldly situation and society around us, and by the state of our mind and soul. With regard to our psychological relationship to the outside world, there is, apart from obvious traumatic disturbance, the question of money that I have already touched upon; excess can be as debilitating as lack, inasmuch as it concentrates the awareness of the threat of poverty even when one's personal state of wealth is very impressive.
A neurotic personality depends on what is often called "a heavy purse" to assuage their terror of penury. The main feature about financial security is that it cannot be attained by the type of neurotic personality I have described, as their state of anguish has often little to do with their financial position but is conveniently projected on to their money supply. Their problem is that of personal relationships: since they cannot deal adequately with themselves or their personal problems, they are most unlikely to relate well to anyone else either.
The most disconcerting experience of the descending shadow of life tends to occur when we are still relatively young and inexperienced, and we accept people as a whole and the current views of the world's progress, because everyone and everything bears a reassuring smile, to the extent that we feel that we can trust both the world and its inhabitants as creatures of integrity. And then we are smitten with what is most appropriately called "the Job experience", when, for no apparent reason, we are hit by a series of outrageous misfortunes which cause us to cry out in agony with apparently nobody to listen to, let alone be interested in answering, our pleas for enlightenment, or grant us relief. What have I done to deserve this tragedy? Why have my children entered criminal company with open eyes, despite the excellent education they have received? Why have I been the victim of persecution, whether personal, racial, national, or religious? I did not, to the best of my knowledge, choose any aberrant path or become involved in any subversive activity. To keep my hands and those of my family clean was a major concern of my life.
I was the product of a traditional, religious upbringing, and I was never at any time ashamed to bequeath this to my children. And yet, at the same time, I was never ignorant of the humiliating poverty and deep suffering of a large proportion of the population, both in my own native land and in the wider world. Moreover, I concerned myself with the welfare of these unfortunate people in the style of 1 John 4.20. "If a man says, I love God, while at the same time hating his fellow Christian he is a liar. If he does not love a fellow Christian whom he has seen, he is incapable of loving God whom he has not seen." In this political disaffection, we see the mystery of so much personal misfortune, and there is no source to afford an authoritative answer except to say that this is the way of the world, and we must come to terms with it as best we can. To be sure, the suffering coincident with ill-health may be subject to preventive measures, but as one group of diseases recedes into the background so others emerge almost automatically to replace them. Social injustice can be combated, by fiercer and yet at the same time more compassionate political action. But this very often leads to partisanship and greater discord than previously.
The French Revolution at the end of the eighteenth century inaugurated the ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity upon a larger world, yet in the process did nothing to put an end to war and persecution. Indeed, the modern era of destructive nationalism dates from the French Revolution, which commenced with the flourish of the triumph of injustice overcome by the exertions of the common people against the combined might of the aristocracy and the professional army, and terminated with terrible violence against anyone suspected of reactionary views, which in fact meant views opposed to the power structure of those now governing the country. The destruction visited upon French culture was very considerable, and the country might have collapsed into total chaos had it not been for the emergence of a military genius, Napoleon Bonaparte, who unfortunately was less blessed in some other character traits, but who nevertheless carried through the work of the revolution until he himself was in due course defeated and there was a return to reactionary politics.
However, political justice was gradually established until in the twentieth century there was a great measure of co-operation between various countries and groups. Nevertheless, the emergence of Fascism and Nazism heralded the terrible persecution of the Jews and the humiliation of all who could not prove themselves to be of acceptable social or racial descent. The ending of the Second World War has given us all some temporary respite from widespread conflict. The present discord amongst so many nations and religious groups makes one wonder how long this blessed state of rest will endure. It is evident that the prescription of liberty, equality, and fraternity falls beautifully on the ears but does not descend like dew after a cool autumn evening. Water may come from on high but it is up to us to provide the right conditions for its condensation on the grass of our garden. We have to work with the garden to provide the most suitable atmospheric temperature, but we have to leave self behind and work in weakness, in fear, and in great trepidation (1 Corinthians 2.3 ).
Meanwhile a very attractive political system was being devised in Germany and introduced into Eastern Europe in particular, where there was especially harsh poverty. It was called Socialism and, in its more extreme form, Communism. Its intellectual founder was Karl Marx. Two of his most celebrated sayings are "The workers have nothing to lose in this revolution but their chains and have a world to gain. Workers of the world unite", and "From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs". He also spoke of religion being the opium of the people, and his aim was the dictatorship of the proletariat.
State socialism still has something to offer in countries with a high standard of education, where an intelligent community can control the seductive invasion of socialistic power into its personal life, but the much more radical communistic system that ruined the lives of many in Russia and Eastern Europe has only recently been reversed, and has taken a much greater toll of the resources of these countries. China is still subject to the full blight of a socialistic dictatorship with little hope of any release until its people are inspired by the Holy Spirit to take matters into their own hands and follow the example of the West.
From these examples of health and social justice where the human has been blessed with a considerable degree of personal responsibility, we see that the result has been frankly disappointing because human expertise has far outstripped wisdom and self-control; only a severe reversal of fortune can affect this state of affairs. Balance is at the very heart of civilized living, and we tend to attain it late in the day. It is a paradox that we are regrettably short-lived and our lives full of trouble (Job 14.1), a frail mortal not worthy on one level of serious notice and yet at the same time little less than a god (Psalm 8.5-8). We grow from flimsiness to strength by doing our daily work with devotion to the world, while the obnoxious brilliance of the untempered mind learns to know its place and keep silent. By so doing it may at last know the true way of life.
At this point doubt comes to be seen as the authentic way of growth. What we want in life, or to be more candid, what we want to get out of life, may not be for our own ultimate good. Furthermore, we do not function as detached individuals, for we belong one to another as parts of one body (Ephesians 4.25). It could be that we are all parts of a universal plan, insignificant as we individuals would appear to be. On the other hand, we may believe that our work is so important that it is a crying shame that it is unceremoniously thwarted by misfortune; and what, in any case, is this alleged plan? Is any tangible power in a conceivable way concerned with our little, private world, or is this merely a childish illusion? This is how most of us come as near to our concept of God as we can comprehend but what a childishly self-centred view it embraces!
There is quite interestingly a deeper sense of composure when we know pain and have to accommodate it, than when all is apparently progressing well, but we are in a state of suffused fear in anticipation of later trouble. In this respect, the temptation to compromise with moral ambiguities is the one truly demonic component of our earthly life. It has to be confronted directly and dealt with speedily. This is done by ardent prayer, by which I mean lifting up our consciousness to the All Highest, whom we know by intuition and not by intellectual speculation. It is at this point that we may glimpse God, for in such company all worldly distractions simply fall away from us.
In this ego-less realm we are in truth in the Divine company, and can now offer ourselves without restriction to the Divine Grace, which is a really satisfactory way of identifying God, as opposed to a worldly personage. It is evident that the sunshine period of life, pleasant though it may be, has to be outgrown if we are to use our own God-given powers for our own benefit and that of the world around us. Growth is an essential feature of the process of life, while a failure to progress is an ominous sign of atrophy and a movement towards decline and death.
Life is always interesting, sometimes thrilling, not infrequently breathtaking, but never without some interest that drives one on to despair at humanity and at one's own ability too. The despair that humanity inculcates in us is due to its lack of imagination in personal relationships, and it is the hope that springs eternal in the human breast that Alexander Pope wrote about in his Essay on Man (I, 95), that related to humanity's capacity to repent and confess its sins in childlike honesty.
Humanity's great dilemma is to learn how to build on past experience so that the same suffering may truly be obviated, and a new way of life may be embarked upon. It is the repeated failure of humanity to learn in the depths of its soul the lessons of a previous generation and not to commit the same errors, time and time again, that are the cause of its repeated suffering. A particular error may be registered so that it is not readily repeated, but then a not very different mistake is made under a different guise. The same trail of consequences will inevitably follow.
From this sequence of events it becomes apparent that most of us simply do not grow and act as responsible adults. We do not really know ourselves, as people, and live under a cloud of illusion. Disaster cuts the ground from under our feet, and then we may begin to see the truth which is alleged to set us free in John 8.3 2. It certainly does free us from the illusion of independence, for we are all parts of the one body (Ephesians 4.25). Once the monumental significance of this truth seeps into the deepest recesses of our mind, we begin to assert our private mind less vociferously and become more open to other people's opinions on a considerable range of topics, in so doing, growing in personal knowledge as opposed to mere individual prejudice.
Doubt is a maturing process, for in its cold embrace we have left comfort far behind us. It is cold, ruthless, and a hard task-master. It also makes us an uncomfortable bed-fellow for many a friend who previously may have valued our advice no less than our company. But it also has its rewards, for it sets us on the path that leads to truth. Certainty cannot tolerate the cold breath of doubt, because in its presence all that is false and tainted shrinks in dismay, but it does not shrink from the doubt nearly so much as from its own corrupt self. We grow as we depend progressively less not on human company or worldly knowledge, but on illusion. This may be sensory or delusive, so as to be deceptive and unreal. Therefore, it can be said that doubt illuminates certainty and strengthens it to withstand the forces of destruction that threaten our world day by day.
It is amazing how refreshing a period of chilling doubt can be in making us strong enough to withstand the Job experience or even our own Gethsemane in the company of the discredited Christ himself before he rose from the dead.