Renovatio

When you say "life", some will envision a single chain of events - with a single beginning and a conclusive end. They will see an idyllic stream, from point A to B - an unobstructed sequence - constant and unbroken til our singular demise. But such individuals have surely been deceived, for the rest of us are left to endure a more ruthless variation, aware of a far crueler, recurring semblance of death: one that spares the body and ravages the soul. Whether it is with betrayal or heart break, shame or rage, anguish or sorrow, our spirits are stabbed, beaten, and torn: ultimately consumed in unfortunate flame. And for an eternity, it may seem to have disappeared, lost to the cold brutality of the world - and perhaps it has.
But from the gaping void of despair, a soul can be redeemed; from the depths of sorrow, a life can be rebuilt; and from the darkest of ashes, the dead can be reborn - again and again and again.
For life is never one-dimensional. Rarely is it ever a straight and continuous line. It is an ever-shifting direction, a montage of failures and breakdowns, restarts and do-overs, conquests and upsets. It is the steady beat of our heart, the persisting rhythm of our enduring soul as we make our bittersweet journey through birth, death, and rebirth.

Social Animal

“I believe we inherit a great river of knowledge, a flow of patterns coming from many sources. The information that comes from deep in the evolutionary past we call genetics. The information passed along from hundreds of years ago we call culture. The information passed along from decades ago we call family, and the information offered months ago we call education. But it is all information that flows through us. The brain is adapted to the river of knowledge and exists only as a creature in that river. Our thoughts are profoundly molded by this long historic flow, and none of us exists, self-made, in isolation from it. 

“And though history has made us self-conscious in order to enhance our survival prospects, we still have deep impulses to erase the skull lines in our head and become immersed directly in the river. I’ve come to think that flourishing consists of putting yourself in situations in which you lose self-consciousness and become fused with other people, experiences, or tasks. It happens sometimes when you are lost in a hard challenge, or when an artist or a craftsman becomes one with the brush or the tool. It happens sometimes while you’re playing sports, or listening to music or lost in a story, or to some people when they feel enveloped by God’s love. And it happens most when we connect with other people. I’ve come to think that happiness isn’t really produced by conscious accomplishments. Happiness is a measure of how thickly the unconscious parts of our minds are intertwined with other people and with activities. Happiness is determined by how much information and affection flows through us covertly every day and year.”