Do not long to escape the troubles of today by a return to yesterday. For it was the culture and choices of “the good old days” that led us to where we are today. The only hope is in building a future that is neither like yesterday nor today, but that has learned from the mistakes of both.
Inevitable Universal Truth
Universal truth is inevitable. If there was no universal truth, then that would be the universal truth.
Given that universal truth is inevitable, all that remains is for us to find out what it is and align ourselves to it.
Weak vs Strong Kindness
There is both a weak kindness and a strong kindness. The weak kindness is based on fear. It is where one allows oneself to be consumed by another, or by the masses. This individual gives others exactly what they want to have and tells them exactly what they want to hear. The individual does this because he is afraid of being rejected and left alone. His integrity is secondary to being accepted.
The strong kindness, on the other hand, is only possible when one is firmly his own self, deeply rooted, and full of integrity. Such a one knows his standards, and does not violate them for another, but he will give of himself when it is aligned with his principles. Thus, this person gives “kindness” on his own terms, and when he does so by sharing a part of his own self. It is a sacrifice made not by compulsion, but with true compassion and altruistic motives.
The weak kindness satiates in the moment, but it reinforces bad behavior and ultimately only hurts the world. Only the strong kindness helps.
Mystery Before Answer
Before you can receive the answer, you must accept the mystery
I Know vs I Do
There is a great chasm between “I know that I should” and “I am actually doing it.”
Within that distance is all the struggle of conscience, the transformation of coward into hero, the measure of one’s very soul. In it we see the difference between a society that is flourishing and one that is decaying, between depravity and morality, and the life or death of the world. All of it turns when we finally act from what we already know in our hearts.
The Devilish Deflection
Anything that follows these statements is devilish and designed to harm mankind.
- “Yes, I know that’s the commandment, but…”
- “Yes, that is true, but…”
- “Yes, that’s what the scriptures say, but…”
Whatever the following justification is, it probably sounds very nice, though. It probably invokes certain virtues. But it is still authored by Satan. For anything that would excuse against God’s word cannot be of God. Anything that would justify sin has to be of the Devil.
And given our particular upbringing, that might be hard to accept. We may have been indoctrinated by our society such that we cannot see God’s word as being for the best, and yet in the full perspective of things it always will be. And the excuses that takes us away from His word might sound for the best, but in the full perspective of things they will always cause pain and suffering.
Finding Balance
They say, “moderation in all things,” yet none can agree what the properly moderated view is. In the face of differing opinions and contradictions, there are a couple points that can help provide clarity.
- There is a correct balance. It can be tempting to just assume that there is no proper moderation at all. That all positions are equally valid. But these perspectives are not enlightenment, they are giving up on the search for truth. Deep down, all of us know that there is such a thing as being too passive and too aggressive, too sexual and too prudish, too reckless and too risk averse. And if there is too much of each extreme, then there must be some place in the middle that is better. That better place might be a range, and it might shift a little from one person to another, but it is there and it can be found.
- You will never have universal agreement. When you do find the correct level of moderation, it would be nice if everyone would agree that how you are living is right, but that will never happen. Some will always still say you are too much and others will say that you are too little. If you try to align yourself by committee, you will be jerked from side-to-side in a never-ending tug-of-war. In the end, you must depend on your own conscience to know if you are too fat or too thin, too quiet or too loud, too ambitious or too reserved. And never forget that both excesses are real, and both have people trying to pull you into them.
A Choice of Integrity
A choice of integrity is a choice that I can live with for the long term and not hurt my conscience. If I am making a choice that I am willing to tolerate only for a time, but could not abide by permanently, then it is likely not a choice that I am making in integrity.
That is not to say that there cannot be changes of situation or perspective. It is possible to make one choice in integrity, and then with integrity change it afterward. It is also possible to recognize that one is entering a special season in life, and posture oneself accordingly, with the up-front understanding that after the season is over things will change.
But if from the outset I make a choice with the hope and expectation that those around me will change so that I do not have to abide by that choice any longer, then I have started without integrity. I am looking for outside sources to rescue me from my own decision, and that means I am making a violation against myself. I should not count on outside situations or people to change. I should ask myself what I would do from my conscience if they never changed, and the answer to that question is the choice of integrity.
Faith in What We Will Gain
Faith is not the belief that we already have what it takes
It is the belief that we will gain what we need along the way
The Best Lessons Must be Painful
The best lessons in life must be painful, because the best lessons require us to change. If they didn’t require us to change, they couldn’t be as meaningful as those that did. And to change means, to some degree, breaking and rebuilding. And breaking and rebuilding is painful.
So, if we are going through lessons that are painful, but which are causing us to change, it’s not that we are doing something wrong, we’re actually doing it exactly right. It’s just that growth is hard. That change is painful. It always has been this way, and it always will be.
Spiritual Wanderings 