Brian’s Reflection: Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Change is certain. Peace is followed by disturbances;
departure of evil men by their return. Such recurrences
should not constitute occasions for sadness but realities
for awareness, so that one may be happy in the interim.

- Percy Bysshe Shelley, poet, born on this date, 1792

I wonder: is it true that “things are getting better and better”, if but in an extremely circuitous way? Do each of us get “better” as we age? I can’t say for sure. Much of religion maintains that “getter better” is the goal, and offers all kinds of Divine assistance.

But, Shelley has (since the first time I read this poem, maybe 40 or more years ago) caused me to entertain another possibility – that “things” only get “better” for a while, and then it cycles around. Christians have been waiting for 2000 and more years for “Christ to return”, as St. Paul was certain He soon would. Not that I can say that I “know” God’s Time - even Jesus said there were some things that only the “Father” knew. But a part of me thinks that Shelley is quote correct. Until it is proven different, “Change is certain”. Things come and go, Good alternates with Evil, etc. An Infinitum.

Perhaps we human beings have to learn to live within the flip-flops of Life, dealing with the not-so-good times as they come along, working to keep the cycle as wide-banded as possible, but being “happy in the interim”.

I’m certainly NOT a believer in Perfection. And I’m certainly not a believer that we have to be miserable and breast-beating and long-faced until we achieve this chimera! I believe that “God” wants us to “be happy” as much as possible – and that our real human work is to discover what real “happiness” IS. That, and what Love really is.

The World’s cycle right at the moment is clearly “disturbance” – big time. So the human race is dealing with this – I hope.

Luckily, no amount of Disturbance can snuff out Beauty and Loveliness and Wonder. All three make me happy when I stumble upon them.

Happy stumbling.

Brian+