Survival and Hope

September remains a month of survival and hope. As the summer vacation season officially ends, autumn waits with many surprises. The temperatures might remain in the eighties. Rain might dampen a few plans. Hurricane warning may disrupt s few imaginations.

Often September arrives with such a force that even the most ordered life can suddenly appear chaotic, turned upside down. Anxiety can play games with our sense of perspective, our sense of reality.

Many diversions wait to capture our attention. School resumes, the football season resumes, the US Open dominates the news as tennis becomes the sport of kings.

Sometimes, so much is being covered in the media and being remembered and shared by our loved ones, that life can for a moment be a little overwhelming. Being overwhelmed briefly might be a good thing, a natural thing. Every so often we must realign ourselves. Being caught off guard might in some instances be good for us if it causes us to examine our hearts, our minds, and our souls.

In this modern age of technological wonder, science tries to explain everything in cool logical sentences. All impulses are rooted in some situation which have an explanation. Our lives can easily be explained. Our hearts are relieved of the restrictions of good and bad. Our faith is often under attack because empirical evidence is often ephemeral. Because pundits have a mantra of “being open and transparent” many people believe that their personal lives and the lives of their friends and family should also have that mantra. That mantra is both dangerous and deceitful.

When we believe in God, we accept a truth which may not be rationally, easily described. When we believe in God, we accept a mystery. Our belief does not mean that we blindly believe this and that. Our belief provides us with information for our brains and inspiration for both our hearts and souls. Believing in God is a workout for the soul, the heart, and the mind. All three must provide ideas and insight. All three must be involved, monitoring what we do and don’t do, what tempts and what doesn’t tempt us.

Every moment of our lives does not, should not be on display. Too much knowledge is a bad thing. Too much knowledge destroys the very essence of being an individual, of being human. When too much is known there is nothing to be shared, nothing to be learned. It is easy to become complacent, and arrogant. Knowledge easily obtained without work and discipline can lead to pride, envy, selfishness. Moderation is always necessary.

Modesty and purity are always necessary in our lives but they are neither fashionable or easily understandable by people lost within the anxiety and the mantras.