Never Learning

 

We are living in historic times, but I am aware that such a perception was shared since the beginning of time.  Whether the philosophers of Ancient Greece and Rome or the biblical writers, there is a common thread that they had to deal with societal disturbances resulting from an imbalance between the rich and poor. Aristotle wrestled with disruptions and battles resulting from inequities. Biblical writers dealt with the same phenomenon. Society does better with sharing the wealth. There is no example of history of peace without a degree of sharing the benefits of Mother Earth.

I am depressed by the plight our world. We have gone through World Wars, developing more and more powerful arsenal of power in the name of maintaining peace, only to find out that we are no where near such a goal. We are only a step closer to destruction beyond measure because we humans have not learned the value of sharing. To be satisfied with the measures of peace and security seems to stimulate others to focus on the inequities, resulting in more aggression.

Daniel Maguire has provided many insights to understanding our existence. We have two common features: age (he is 89) and was also a priest at one time (educated at Rome no less). He too left the priesthood but continued his study of religion, especially Christianity. He has been a professor of theology at Marquette University. But as I, he came a long, long way, characterized by this book, “Christianity without God”.

This particular blog has been triggered by a chapter in his book, “When HistoryTurned a Corner”. Whether it was Aristotle indicating that “only justice holds the city together” or Thomas Aquinas referencing Aristotle in “Justice consists in sharing”, he proceeds to walk through the history with moments when it becomes clear that all win by sharing. Otherwise, disparities ultimately culminates in some sort of warfare. Historically, this repeated phenomenon brought us interludes of peace. Now, society is faced with the phenomenon that many nations have the power to destroy virtually everything. 

It brings me back to the title of this blog, “Never Learning”. Our nation is splitting apart! Admittedly, we have been splitting apart for decades, but now it has become so apparent and devastating. The events of January 6 were overwhelming but only confirmed not only that we were divided but divided by weapons designed for killing enemies of our nation but also enemies within our nation.

Having grandchildren forbids me from losing hope. I could not bear thinking that they were to be the victims of destruction caused by prior generations. So, I hope that their elders will devise a way to “come together”. Surely, the need is evident, even if the solution isn’t.