Friday, December 26, 2008

Brian’s Reflection: Friday, Dec 26, 2008
Boxing Day in some places!
The Feast of St. Stephen (Christian)


Commerce changes the fate and genius of nations.

- Thomas Gray, playwright & poet, born on this day,
1741 (wrote “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”)


Don’t it though! Almost all humanity is learning this lesson right now, for the umpteenth time in history. It will be a bumpy ride. And, as is “normal”, we will discard the lesson as soon as things “improve” a bit. But, I’m looking on the bright side. We may have enough time in the “slough of despond” that at least a few people will rethink Life habits, and perhaps some industries will make a little progress, and perhaps maybe even a nation or two will progress a little, before we dive back in again to over-consumption, SUV’s (soon to run on ….. ?), etc.

What funny beings we are! I’d like to think that we will preserve Mother Earth as a beautiful, healthy place - but I suspect/fear we will trash Her in the end and move to some other places in the Solar System! C’est la vie. Hopefully the Polar Bears will have begun the evolutionary journey of changing colour and getting different paw pads and have adapted to asphalt.

Let not Ambition mock their useful toil,
Their homely joys, and destiny obscure;
Nor Grandeur hear with a disdainful smile
The short and simple annals of the poor.

A stanza from “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”. Whatever else we do in our future “progress”, may we remember Jesus’ words, “Blessed are the poor in spirit”, or, as Eugene Peterson translates it in The Message: “You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.”.

The World can go its way. Meanwhile, I’m going to work on “less of me”, and try to keep Life and enjoyment “short and simple”.

Brian+

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