As the World Burns…
It seems like each and every year we get a little closer to “It”. We repeat it like a mantra, a chant, a curse. “It” is passed down from generation to generation as a legend or folktale, the mysterious bogeyman, the thing under your bed, the dark at the end of the tunnel; “It” is death, the undoing of all things civil and sacred.. But when the days and weeks pass and one month dissolves into another and yet another, we scarcely notice when “It” failed to happen and we were spared another day. Years may roll by but “It” will always be lurking around the next corner threatening to send us to oblivion. We are so obsessed with “It” that we invest a significant amount of time and energy on the various manifestations of how we, and the world, might come to an end. “It” has become part of the canon and zeitgeist of every culture and religion that humans have created. “It” is inevitable.
To see the day when the seas rise or the mountains fall, or whatever corner of the world that we occupy witnesses the worst day anyone could ever imagine: In this context, “It” does come true. For thousands of people “It” has come crashing about them with the explosions of hundreds of bombs or a hail of bullets, the dormant mountain or faultline startling to life with the power of the Earth itself unleashed. The muddy torrent of a cyclone or seasonal monsoon washes away towns and fields, a conflagration overcomes a city leaving only charred rubble and ruined lives in its wake. There are so many ways to die in this world that for some it seems unlikely that it is possible to live. Not only does the Earth itself pose challenges to daily survival, but humans are acute in directing cruel practices upon one another. Perhaps more than any other consideration regarding “It” is the fact that we ourselves wield the power to give and take away life and livelihood where so often the decision made not only punishes the innocent but indicts the human race, defying our insistence that we have evolved out of humanity and compassion.
Even an act as seemingly meaningless as sending a text can result in “It” when done at the wrong time. The technology driven lives of the western world are often no safer from peril than undeveloped regions of the world. Instead of the looming threat of terrorism, despotic rulers or starvation and disease, the privileged find ways to imperil themselves through luxury. Emptiness: the U.S. proffers examples of unhappy and depressed men and women. Individuals spiraling into depression, substance abuse and madness. A wealthy society that cannot buy its way to happiness; fraught with divisions that lead to resent, mistrust and violence. A man that kills Jews and in doing so echoes a past of hatred and genocide. A man that shoots up a night club full of gays because he fears and resents their lifestyle and sexuality. A man who shoots up a school because in his failure he hopes to “go out” infamously with his name splashed across headlines. And then there are more insidious acts of violence carried out in the name of profit. The destruction of ecosystems in order to benefit short-term gains or maintain the calculated and well-oiled process of corporate industry. Commodification of unnecessary substances in order to fill the coffers of faceless companies and satisfy quarterly reports for boardroom stakeholders. Entire industries that sell death in small or large quantities that are protected by the tenants of capitalism, freedom and individualism. Humans are experts of the manufacture of risk and fatality yet unwilling to burden themselves with the truth of their consequences.
We are told that “It” is always something that cannot be controlled. As if this absolves us of guilt from the inevitable, even when much of what constitutes “It” is indeed preventable. Humans are practitioners of “It” throughout our bloody and violent history. The majority of human casualties and suffering can be traced to actions initiated by powerful hierarchies leading various countries and organizations. Even not taking action can directly lead to undue suffering by a group of people.
Has the 21st century been more difficult? Have we had it worse than other generations? Not by a long shot. We can argue that with successive centuries the development of human society has vastly improved the quality of life and living for everyone involved. This can certainly be said for the advancement of medical practices, food quality, living standards, access to essential resources, educational opportunity, labor safety, environmental stability, industrial development and even the conduct of warfare. Human welfare has been improved through technological advances (I.E. the Industrial Revolution) which are ironically often triggered by conflict or war. “It” has played a role in making lives better. The weapon that ended World War II gave us the devices that heat our food quickly, the technology that eventually became the internet and the materials that help western civilization produce and dispose of so much stuff. This is the irony of humanity, that it wields the power of a thousand suns and yet still functions from a reptilian amygdala that relies on a primitive fight-or-flight reaction. We are more comfortable interacting with the devices that we hold in our hands than a face in a crowd.
The problems of the current epoch are not much different from those of the past. As an example that history repeats, we are still prone to conflicts spearheaded by elites who rely on xenophobia as a fulcrum to tip popular opinion in their favor. The human experience includes up to half of the planet’s population who do not share the same quality of life. Developing nations are those who the rest of the world has abandoned to their own means resulting in rulership by tyrants, dictators and enslavers. Religion has not resolved itself with the schisms that tore it apart in the past and created the factions that carried out atrocities and propagated hierarchies of men to designate the rule by which those below them live. Bloody war erupts time and time again over the same lands and principles, advancing neither cause nor logic in its administration of suffering.
That fact is that humanity is “It” as much as any other threat in our brief history.
Do Miracles Exist?
What is a miracle exactly? This requires a complex definition because everyone has a different interpretation of what actually constitutes a “miracle”. The term is eagerly bandied about in a world that is hungry for hope and looks for promise in every nook and cranny. It is a euphemism, a description of the improbable yet real overcoming of odds. To some, a miracle may constitute the frivolous end to a means: A last second touchdown pass, walk-off home run or winning 3-pointer. To others it can answer the prayers of much more serious needs: A negative cancer diagnosis, the reuniting of lost family members or the discovery of a priceless artifact concealed for years. A miracle constitutes different things to everyone, sometimes embodying less of a miracle than an expression of relief. But one thing is sure, when we ask for a miracle we are actually using a form of projection for what we most need or want in times of duress. Is it faith or action that brought reality into being?
The human mind is the computer we haven’t yet learned to decode although AI is trying. There’s quite a bit of our experience and perception that we can’t completely explain as far as how our brains interpret the five senses we use to form what we consider reality. The saying “there’s always two sides to a story” is partially true and can be expanded to include even more perspectives given the additional observers participating in the same event. The reason that a thorough investigation of a crime scene will include processing individual statements from all witnesses involved is that each account of the event may offer differing information that can corroborate or refute information. The recent introduction of genetic evidence into closed cases has been able to provide additional evidence used to close unresolved cases. Although this provides little solace to the deceased it has resulted in sentences being overturned and the wrongly accused being released after years of incarceration. For the exonerated, this seems like a miracle. In reality, it was simply the introduction of empirical fact presenting incontrovertible evidence resulting in disproving a previous conclusion.
Manifestation is defined as the phenomena through which we believe something into existence. This practice has taken place for thousands of years, as long as humans have walked the Earth. Recently it has found a new place of origin in the world wide web, a vast resource of ideas, thoughts and alternate realities. This has led to both positive and negative perceptions. Many are probably familiar with the negative implications from the result of media coverage of sites such as 4chan and infowars as well as the proliferation of an unlimited number of blogs and other information sources that can easily convey specious information. This phenomenon has also invaded most of the popular social media channels where so many of us not only look for entertainment but can find a steady diet of news and information. The point is that the act of taking one’s own thoughts and beliefs and applying it to reality has never been so easily facilitated. Jesus appears on a slice of bread? There’s proof of that. Ghosts caught on film? More than 3 million results on a Google search. Jewish Space Lasers? Definitely enough of a threat to get members of Congress to bring it up. But back to the actual topic, can we actually get “miracles” to manifest or happen?
Despite the fact that it is common culture to invoke a miracle when things seem to not work in one’s favor, the actual conditions that require a “miracle” are quite rare and some would argue that it is pointless to hope for one. More often than not a need can be met by the application or bending of one’s own will to meet the challenge. This is often referred to as the Pygmalion or Rosenthal effect, or, the self-fulfilling prophecy. It also works both ways, a person can belittle themselves or project the negative result of an outcome and therefore cause it to come to fruition as a matter of focusing on the unwanted result instead of the desired one. Usually when we are faced with a particularly difficult situation our first instinct is to assess what will be required before rising to meet the challenge. But often the challenge is not as simple as studying for an exam, performing well in a sport or executing a task once. As adults the hurdles we face might require long term planning and diligence requiring both discipline and patience. Forget about a miracle, this is life-changing decision making.
When we are faced with such daunting challenges, we might turn to historical figures for inspiration. Gandhi is a frequent subject, but if you examine his life you will find that he had no extraordinary powers to guide him other than faith in his own convictions and the willpower to pursue his beliefs until completion. For that matter, so many other figures of history wielded the same ability including those who brought about ruin and destruction. On a personal level most of us do not know anyone as influential as a world leader, but we do know of individuals in our lives who have overcome hardship and insurmountable odds to not only survive but thrive and inspire others. A veteran of military combat, a single mom and a cancer survivor are examples to name a few. These people did not require miracles, only faith in themselves and support. You yourself could be part of a “miracle”.
Now that we have blurred the lines, the definition of a miracle as something improbable begins to appear much more attainable. Of the examples I have provided I have attempted to demonstrate that our lives aren’t the result of “miracles” but testaments to human fortitude. If you search your family history and consider the experiences of your groups of friends you will discover that individuals who have achieved the remarkable are not so rare. How often are we told to “live life like there is no tomorrow”? How often are we given circumstances where this makes sense? Those who have lived closer to their own mortality have learned to appreciate life one day at a time. As we grow older and our perception of time changes we tend to compress our experiences into longer timelines. This may be in error, perhaps we should be more closely observing the minutes, hours, days and weeks for what they are. Everything is unique and life is indeed fleeting. Whatever challenges you have faced or will face in life have contributed to your individuality; failure has made you wise and achievement has made you stronger.
You must believe that you can perform a miracle, because you never know when “It” will happen.
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