Summer in America, year of our Lord, 2016. "Think globally, act locally" I once heard Pete Seeger say. Advice I've tried to heed. I'd like to think we've come a long way, even in my few years on earth. A bit over half a century and it looks as though humanity hasn't learned a thing. My country and the world seem more troubled and confused about good versus evil than it has ever been, if the news is to be believed. Ha, the "news." So much violence, stupid and arbitrary inflicted between humans. All children of God, of Allah, of the earth. Brothers and sisters all struggling to play in the same sandbox. The political climate of the earth and of the US seem more polarized than ever.
I reluctantly look at our current elections. The US has been interfering with other countries elections for decades. In the interest of what? On our behalf? And just who is this "USA" that's been doing these misdeeds? Our government, whom we've elected to represent us? And who are "we" these days? If I'm to believe this election cycle, we're a collection of fearful, violent racists, homophobes, misogynists, liberals and socialists. I don't even know what a conservative is anymore. What's being conserved?
And now our government is clearly aiming it's shenanigans directly at all of us. Why? For whom? Is it better than manipulating matters abroad? I'm sort of losing the plot here...
So looking to today's readings at Mass from Ecclesiastes, I find it so very apt:
"Vanity of vanities! Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity!
What more does a man have from all his labor, as he labors under the sun?
A generation passes away, and a generation arrives. But the earth stands forever.
The sun rises and sets; it returns to its place, and from there, being born again,
it circles through the south, and arcs toward the north. The spirit continues on, illuminating everything in its circuit, and turning again in its cycle.
All rivers enter into the sea, and the sea does not overflow. To the place from which the rivers go out, they return, so that they may flow again.
Such things are difficult; man is not able to explain them with words. The eye is not satisfied by seeing, nor is the ear fulfilled by hearing.
What is it that has existed? The same shall exist in the future. What is it that has been done? The same shall continue to be done.
There is nothing new under the sun. Neither is anyone able to say: “Behold, this is new!” For it has already been brought forth in the ages that were before us.
There is no remembrance of the former things. Indeed, neither shall there be any record of past things in the future, for those who will exist at the very end.
All things have their time, and all things under heaven continue during their interval.
A time to be born, and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to pull up what was planted.
A time to kill, and a time to heal. A time to tear down, and a time to build up.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh. A time to mourn, and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather. A time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.
A time to gain, and a time to lose. A time to keep, and a time to cast away.
A time to rend, and a time to sew. A time to be silent, and a time to speak.
A time of love, and a time of hatred. A time of war, and a time of peace."
There is so much, too much to contemplate from Ecclesiastes about the evil and good to be found in humanity on earth, and God's part in it. Our time here is very short. I am sure of one thing; I, we, will never get a handle on it all. I always find myself coming back to my favorite passage in the Bible, Micah 6 -
This is what God asks of you, only this:
To act justly,
To love tenderly, and
To walk humbly with your God.
And in the end, that's all the handle I need to have.
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