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Implode
If only the stones could speak: the stones of the walls of the great forts or the palaces and mausoleums or the mosques of the great Mughals. Why look so far? If the four walls of our own homes could speak they would speak the same story.
And what a story would it tell? Its a story with a thickening plot of opposing traits that run through us all: A deep desire to know ourselves, and be known by someone and appreciated, to love and be loved, to create something good and nice and lasting, a longing for artistry, poetry; for benevolence, for love, for a need to trust and be trusted. But there is a spanner in the works too. A deep stain of self-destroying violence, a deeper sense of self-pity and guilt, of grudges and resentments long buried deep, a distrust and insecurity and weakness.
What did it do to the once-mighty Mughals? Implode. The artistry in stone that they have left behind bear witness to this sorrow. What does this do to the normal, everyday common man on the street, to ourselves, our families and communities? Can it be any different?
The more one delves deep into human history, the more one feels the need for humanity to be saved from itself, salvaged, redeemed. There is a need for us to be 'deep cleaned' and kept that way -deep cleaned.
The other alternative is to implode!
#deepthoughtswithSantanu
ReplyDeleteHey Santanu, thanks for this post – a helpful reminder that we are a jumbled mess of light and dark, good and bad. It made me reflect on a few things: 1) I have a hunch that if we focus primarily or only on one of these, we’ll end up in an unhealthy place. As a follower of Jesus, I also wonder whether his instruction to ‘love our enemies’ includes (starts with? requires?) loving the ‘enemy within.’ 2) I find it very interesting that despite it so often seeming that evil and darkness are winning, over the (short!) course of human history, the light and goodness has still somehow kept us from complete self-destruction. I find that encouraging despite the many, sobering darker parts of human history. 3) I’m reading some Richard Rohr at the moment and he highlights how the gospel is an invitation to turn the darker parts of our lives into light. Growing from suffering, building character and becoming more loving, patient, generous and empathetic through learning from our suffering (self-inflicted or otherwise). At least that's the opportunity and gift freely offered each time. Whether we take that opportunity or not is up to us. But when we do, we cause evil to undo itself by transforming it into a generative force that perpetuates love. I find that both exciting and terrifying because I long for a different world, but I don't enjoy suffering. I tend to want a deathless resurrection.
ReplyDeleteHi Clinton, loved reading what you said. That is indeed deep. This is a theme so often shown in many movies too; remembering the Terminator 2 right now.
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