Greetings, friends…
Typical Intramuralist pattern is to go from one topic to the next. We keep current with what’s current, making sure that we’re paying attention to what deserves it — and alas, not paying attention to what does not.
In the past 2 weeks, my sober sense believes there have been 2 topics that are too weighty to simply glance over in a few days. After all, isn’t that what we’re already prone to do?
When a topic is too heavy, we tend to say, “Well, that can wait for another day. It’s too much to think about. It hurts too much”… or perhaps most common, “I’d prefer not to dwell on that.” It’s easier to let the truth go.
When a topic is too heady, we tend to say, ”Well, that can also wait for another day. It’s too hard to figure out — above my pay grade.” We’d also prefer not to dwell on that. It, too, is easier to let go.
Our challenge is that it’s always easier to let go; it’s easier to ignore the truth than to wrestle with it — and deeper still, to acknowledge any individual impact.
Frankly, I think that’s one of the reasons so many of us (and perhaps a larger percentage of non-Intramuralist readers) avoid the news; it’s too hard to pay attention to…
… it’s hard to turn on the news each night and see the fighting.
… it’s hard to witness the millions of persons who go to bed hungry each night.
… it’s hard to see the depth of despair, the perils of poverty, the foolishness, salaciousness, selfishness, impurity, and evil that are evident on this planet on a daily basis.
It’s hard.
And so when the Intramuralist, for example, initiates conversation on the core beliefs of Islam, I understand that’s hard. Within the Qur’an, there is specific encouragement to fight against those who are unbelievers solely because they do not believe. I realize that is not convenient nor easy to comprehend — and it would feel far better to believe something else — but that’s not what the Qur’an says; there is a definite distinction in the way Muslims are exhorted to treat believers and unbelievers.
That’s hard. That’s heavy.
Perhaps too heady was our conversation 2 weeks ago entitled “16 trillion dollars.” 16 trillion dollars!
The outstanding public debt of the United States of America now surpasses $16,000,000,000,000. In fact, out debt currently increases at a average, nominal rate of approximately $3.88 billion per day. Another way to assess that massive amount is that with an estimated U.S. population of 313,521,685, each citizen’s share of this debt is $51,225.60. In other words, your children’s and grandchildren’s share will be far higher if we do not work to pay this back now.
But… “I like all the entitlements… I like the free healthcare, contraception, retirement, and individual household candy bar machines!” (… ok, so I’m kidding about the candy bars… they’d have fruit instead). Liking the entitlements often prompts us to ignore the reality. Why?
Because the reality is hard. It’s also heady.
In order to be a wise people, we have to be able to wrestle with the truth… no matter what it is… how heavy… and how heady…
… also, no matter how it makes us feel.
Respectfully,
AR