Today we celebrate the death of Jesus Christ and the redemption that his sacrifice gave to mankind. This supreme self sacrifice, gives many of us hope whenever we reflect on upsets and upheavals in our lives in uncertain times.
I think some periods of time are more uncertain than others. Like the body, each society has an equilibrium where life seems reasonably in balance. When in balance, we and our neighbours, are able to calmly proceed with what we consider our 'normal' lives and probably feel relatively calm and unconcerned with small events that occur in our daily lives.
I would surmise that we are experiencing one of these periods of universal upheaval/adjustment now. For the past year at least, although possibly even the past five years, it seems like many of us seem to be putting future plans on the back burner. It is almost as though tacitly most of the world may be cautiously hoping that whatever change next occurs will not be a major one. I would even go so far as to say it seems that no one wants to be the one to tip the precarious balance and send us all hurtling into a universal domino-like financial disaster and possibly cataclysm.
There are times when our lives are unexpectedly effected. At such times we are forced to respond immediately. Some events, particularly emergencies, are recognized as being beyond our control. Such things as acts of nature, floods, storms and fires, require us to react quickly to prevent injury and loss of life. Human nature when faced with such events, responds as quickly as possible and usually finds us working together to restore normalcy as soon as possible.
Man-made upheavals however, such as war, genocide and power shifts uproot millions of people in every generation and can require exodus and emigration. Finding a safer place under such circumstances often displaces people sometimes temporarily, but for others, drives them permanently away from their native lands.
Sadly perhaps, we may ultimately be forced to recognize that some part of the world, in each generation suffers cataclysmic political upheaval of some sort. At the very least, this upsets and effects the lives of millions of people.
There is not much chance of balance and stability in parts of the world constantly plagued by war. It is a credit to the human spirit, that many people still manage to find some happiness and create a good life, despite the disruption around them.
There is some consolation in reflecting that some things remain constant in our lives and allow us to respond calmly to periods of vague dis-ease, because the foundation of our lives is not significantly effected.
Each generation also must learn how to accept change. How successful we are at adapting, will be reflected by our moods, perception, perspective and ultimately whether we are happy and satisfied with our lives.
Yesterday, someone compared life to a mirror, how we look at it, is what is reflected back to us.
The person able to always see the 'glass as half full', begins with an advantage over someone who is more pessimistic about life around them. However, there is merit in being realistic and possibly even a bit fatalistic in accepting that sometimes even many changes soon are incorporated and 'le plus ca change, le plus c'est la meme', (the more things change, the more they remain the same). I think this may be because we, as human beings, require balance and are inclined to assimilate and adapt as quickly as we can so that we might return to balance.
Reflecting on this today, over 2000 years after Christ's sacrifice, can remind us that not only does life go on, with or without our participation, but also that when we build strong foundations and take some steps to maintain some balance in our lives, we are likely to be less disturbed by changes beyond our control.
For those of us blessed with faith, Good Friday, is a time to celebrate and appreciate the gift of redemption which makes our lives hopeful. This remembrance might perhaps inspire us to some act of generosity and assistance to our fellow man. Perhaps because we have been given so much, we may today, remind ourselves to give some encouragement to someone struggling with greater difficulties. We are all improved when we give a 'hand up' and encourage others to pass it on.
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