Day 10
Good Friday: Why on Earth would God do that? Moreover, why would God be on Earth?
Probably most people who read this will wonder why I as a semi rational person believe in the two thousand year old story of a Jewish carpenter and part time rackenteur magic man. My question this Good Friday is why as semi rational people, would you believe in a world which is clearly broken, busted, which we're actively destroying with our stupidity and collective greed, and where powerful people put the monetary value of human lives at less than the price of a small car?
Today we're heading to the north east on a road through the mountains. Some of the roads which head off pass through the snow and still others head back through passes that we're not concerned about at this current moment in time. We shall leave those roads for another day.
One of the things that you notice as you travel through life is that some people come along for some parts and then go off and do their own thing. The analogy of life being a journey where everyone has to find their own roads is a good one, since ultimately we all can't go down the same roads all the time in a world which is hideously complex. Sometimes we might meet old friends at different junctions though, as they have travelled through life differently.
Today, we're going to be driving through the Mountains Of Hope; which sound loftier than they are. The truth is that due to the ravages of time and circumstance, some roads remain permanently closed.
I can look on at the mountains of material happiness which might include home ownership of fancy cars and know that is simply unrealistic to drive up those roads. Actually, given the current storms which surround Cyclone Covid, the mountain of job security is also not exactly motorable.
Given that there are mountains which I will simply never visit, you then have to ask about what sights can be visited. If there are storms everywhere, then what kind of hopes and happiness can you find?
The Stoic Philosopher, Epicurus, once wrote to a disciple, asking for him to “send me a small pot of cheese, so that I may be able to indulge myself whenever I wish.” To be honest, a pot of cheese doesn't exactly sound like someone who is trying to maximise their happiness and it hardly sounds very 'rock-and-roll' but it does demonstrate that someone had worked out that an uncomplicated life sounds like a better road to happiness than one which burns abnormally brightly and leads to self destruction.
Epicurus' complete list of things required for happiness was a pot of cheese, some wine, and six friends. I think that it is an entirely reasonable list.
I would argue that the things which most people need for happiness are far more basic than that. I would include a place to stay, a job, and adequate food. Maslow's Hierarchy Of Needs places these things at the bottom of the pyramid and to be fair, I can't really think of much else that people actually need to be happy; though I would add that the next level up the pyramid which includes family, friends and community is also pretty important.
I would also imagine that Christians and Epicurans would get along rather well together; when you consider that Paul wrote to Timothy to pray for those in authority so that they could lead quiet and peaceable lives.
I do not necessarily think that Epicurans and Christians share the same viewpoint concerning what happens to people after they die nor about one's connection or responsibility to God or other people but they would definitely agree that living a relatively uncomplicated life which is free from disturbances and a state of calm contentment where you are not stirred up by the difficulties of the world, is desirable.
We can look over those peaks off in the distance and continue to meander over the roads through the mountains. Storms might be raging overhead but at this exact moment in time, the roads aren't slippery and provided we are careful, then we might as well enjoy this period of calm.
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