I went for a walk this afternoon and was struck by how every moment of peace or beauty was almost immediately shattered by the discordant intrusions of modernity in some form or other, noisy vehicles, ugly architecture and so on. But most of contemporary life is like this. To the spiritually sensitive it may sometimes seem as though the whole world is on fire, and that soon there will be nothing left but ashes. Values are turned upside down, truth is denied or distorted and some virtues, or semblances of them, in particular a counterfeit of compassion, are used to subvert others, in particular a wise discrimination. All this may incline one to the temptation of despair. But if we are tempted in that direction then we should remember the lesson of Easter. The disciples after the crucifixion were cast down and despondent, their dreams shattered and their lives seemingly over. But a few days later the most extraordinary event in the history of mankind occurred.
So the message of Easter is hope. We are being tested and those that remain faithful to the truth within them will one day see the lifting of the clouds, and a bright sun shining in a clear blue sky beyond.
Last year at Whitsun I went walking in the Yorkshire Dales with my family (a place I has only walked in once before), while being part-way through reading the magical novel Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell - and found the sense of unspoiled Nature quite overwhelming and transporting. Living in the city, I get so used to bracketing-out the 'discordant intrusions of modernity' that to find myself with my family in a place where that was not necessary was quite marvellous!
ReplyDeleteYes, it's as though one is constantly having to stave off attack and when you don't have to, what a relief! It's increasingly rare in contemporary England unfortunately.
ReplyDelete