LET'S TALK ABOUT . . .


                                          "AVOIDING 'THE LUCIFER SYNDROM'"

We all know that things are not always what they appear to be and yet we buy into that thinking and hope.  It is almost as if we are desperately searching for somewhere to anchor the desire that they actually be whatever they appear or advertise themselves to be.  This search has become increasingly powerful in the shadow of all the "isms" of the twentieth century and the face of a steady stream of exposures and scandals.

This is true on all levels of society and around the world.  Even the most venerated institutions that have formed the bedrock of many societies have fallen to scandal, leaving voids of distrust and anxiety.  We do not like "playing the fool," misplacing our trust.  It shames and angers us!  That's  the reference in the old saying, "fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me."  Integral to playing the fool is being deceived.  It happens to all of us.  There is no healthy fool-proof way to defend against it 100% of the time.  We are limited, finite human beings vulnerable to being deceived and playing the fool.

Being deceived can happen very quickly or over a long period of time.  It happens on both an individual basis and in societies throughout the world.  One of my growing concerns is that on an ever-increasing basis what used to occur on more of an individual basis is rapidly becoming more of a societal and world experience.  When this occurs norms will invariably shift either very quickly or slowly over time.  The world of electronics and social media are accelerating this pace around the globe.

Every generation bears witness to both  progressive and degenerative realities in their lifetime.  We usually enjoy or try to keep up with the progressive elements while silently mourning or longing for that which has been lost or left behind.  We embrace some elements while resisting others.  This is inevitable.  For example, many of the scientific advances of our day are incredibly progressive and life-giving while at the same time creating and leaving moral and ethical dilemmas in their wake that societies cannot even begin to resolve before the scientific community is on to the next discovery.
Again, this will always be true!

So how do we even begin to attend to these realities and navigate our way through them in a way that is healthy rather than conflicted and confused at every turn?  Is there a way we can be certain in the midst of uncertainties, constant in the face of the inconstancy and consistent in the face of inconsistencies? 

One of my concerns is that most people simply go with the flow until something forces them to engage in a conscious intentional process of trying to think through the issues, which can be messy at the best of times.  One of my other concerns is that most people are too busy trying to just hold life together to even try to keep track of the big picture realities; we get so caught up in the specifics of any given time frame.  We need to hold these in some kind of working tension.

I heard a comment recently that grabbed my attention.  The gist of the comment was that we are living in a time when we are in a crisis of confidence.  Everything has become so relative it is as if we are adrift, lost and grasping for a port at which we can anchor ourselves and our lives.

I do not have it all figured out.  I do, however, know that I have been working at trying to figure out what I believe for decades.  I grew up in an upside down world.  I know the power of perceptual realities that betray and deceive us away from healthier norms.  I know my own personal process of flipping a perceptual world to something more in keeping with what I believe is healthier.  I am not afraid of the responsibility of trying to hold both the specific and the big picture in some kind of tension. 

Hence, this blog!  In the days and weeks to come I hope to add my voice to either the dialog or debate.  I am concerned that my generation's anxious society has become this generation's narcissistic
society, which in turn is giving rise to pockets of anarchy/lawlessness around the world.  Where will all of this take us in the future?  Are you confident regarding what you believe is normal, healthy and true or are you adrift?  Think about it?  Perhaps you would like to come along on a regular or an
occasional basis.

Until next time . . . this is, Just Janice!