Given Circumstances
I often wonder what it is like to be satisfied. What does feel like to be wholly sated with life and all it's trappings? How does one process the idea of being genuinely content? Then I ask myself if this is even possible...probably not, I suppose. Would I even want to be that way?
I suppose that it is, in the end, a question of "fight or flight." In flight, one can escape that with which he is not satisfied but in so doing runs the risk of increasing his dissatisfaction by not fighting. In fighting, one can change that with which he is unsatisfied but in so doing runs the risk of increasing his dissatisfaction by virtue of the Herculean effort it takes to fight - which drains him.
For Sisyphis, it was punishment. His eternal struggle was a punishment for unacceptable behavior this side of the River Styx. For Jacob, the struggle was to strengthen him and change him forever. For Job, it was simply to prove a point. What is it for me?
The beauty of rest is never so pristine as it is in weariness just as power is never so riveting as it is in weakness.
I suppose that it is, in the end, a question of "fight or flight." In flight, one can escape that with which he is not satisfied but in so doing runs the risk of increasing his dissatisfaction by not fighting. In fighting, one can change that with which he is unsatisfied but in so doing runs the risk of increasing his dissatisfaction by virtue of the Herculean effort it takes to fight - which drains him.
For Sisyphis, it was punishment. His eternal struggle was a punishment for unacceptable behavior this side of the River Styx. For Jacob, the struggle was to strengthen him and change him forever. For Job, it was simply to prove a point. What is it for me?
The beauty of rest is never so pristine as it is in weariness just as power is never so riveting as it is in weakness.
posted by rOmiLaYu at 7:21 PM
1 Comments:
Last year my friend's graduation, I heard one of the 5 valedictorians say, "Always be content, but never be satisfied." I don't know why, but that always struck me as profound. I've been thinkging about it since, still undecided about whether or not I agree.
All this to say, I think it has some truth. You want to save/change the world? Then you'll never be satisfied. But you can't not fix it, so your disatisfaction will always drive you to keep trying. Eventually, you will see results. Maybe not large ones at first - perhaps just in a few lives. This too will encourage you to keep going.
So basically, you'll never stop. That's just who you are, and that's one of things I admire most about you.
So, sleep when you die. It seems like God's got too much for you to do here.
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