Christine Smith’s Blog

The Root of All the Crises

There is an enormous hunger for reassurance, protection, and security as ever increasing uncertainty is emphasized by the power seeking politicians. Fearful of the unknown future, many people look to anyone promising comfort. This, of course, plays right into the politicians’ hands.

One predominately controlled by fear chooses to ignore even that which they know is wrong, unethical and unjust. How can such a person effectively challenge political matters in their own community such as issues of taxation and regulation, much less issues at the state and federal level, even though both will directly affect their life and their family?

Fearful for their jobs, retirement, healthcare and their very lives, they desperately choose to believe what they are told, favoring hopeful sounding rhetoric over substance. This accounts not only for rampant apathy and complacency, but for the irrational emotional fervor and support given to politicians and political parties even when they have no real reason to believe those they support will try to change anything. Trusting those who deserve it not (people whose actions contradict their platforms), makes the fearful feel better than the alternative of recognizing their loneness and vulnerability. Their weakness, and thereby vulnerability to manipulation, makes a deep void which adds to their fear of the unknown and the circle of dependency of government continues.

People seek to fill their inner void with meaningless group activities where they can feel a part of the crowd. Getting excited with others substitutes for the hard (and perhaps painful) introspection required to become whole, true to oneself and others, and wholeheartedly welcoming and seeking liberty no matter the work and risks required.

It is as Thomas Merton wrote in New Seeds of Contemplation, “…the experience of being seized and taken out of oneself by collective enthusiasm, in a totalitarian parade: the self-righteous upsurge of party loyalty that blots out conscience and absolves every criminal tendency in the name of Class, Nation, Party, Race or Sect. The danger and attraction of these false mystiques of Nation and Class is precisely that they seduce and pretend to satisfy those who are no longer aware of any deep or genuine spiritual need.The false mysticism of the Mass Society captivates men who are so alienated from themselves and from God that they are no longer capable of genuine spiritual experience. Yet it is precisely these ersatz forms of enthusiasm that are “opium” for the people, deadening their awareness of their deepest and most personal needs, alienating them from their true selves, putting conscience and personality to sleep and turning free, reasonable men into passive instruments of the power politician.”

Such internal emptiness afflicts many to such a degree that anything which promises to relieve it, even if only temporary, is sought after. When that distraction ends, another is found to replace it. Aimless, such a one somehow deceives their mind into thinking they are doing something significant and worthy merely because so many others are participating in the same group activity as they. Pleasing everyone in their circle rather than being themselves, they take the easy path of wearing acceptable masks which will never receive criticism or rejection.

Again, as Thomas Merton wrote, “We are at liberty to be real, or to be unreal. We may be true or false, the choice is ours…Causes have effects, and if we lie to ourselves and to others, then we cannot expect to find truth and reality whenever we happen to want them.” (New Seeds of Contemplation)

In the long run, the cost is high for such falsity and weakness. In the end, in moments alone, the emptiness returns thereby increasing the illusion of whatever fearful scenarios are being offered them on that day by those who would control and steal from them. One then so easily forsakes the things they once believed to be right and wrong, they then become part of the evil done in their name. They do not challenge and fight for what is right, but give tacit approval to evil by their non-action and often go so far as to rationalize the evil as if it is justified.

But when no such void exist within an individual, he possesses a strength of character, integrity, and self-reliance rarely observed and certainly rarely esteemed in society. Rather than superficial illusions of power derived from being part of a group, true character is bold, strong and courageous and ready to tackle whatever tasks are before it. It seeks not to control, and will not allow itself to be unjustly controlled. Neither does such an individual become arrogant and prideful in his work; they simply, in humility, do what must be done because of the passionate commitment they have to truth. They are strong because truth guides them. Such were those who founded our nation.

We were a nation of rugged individualists who valued natural rights and respected freedom. Self-reliance was a way of life. Community, friends, churches, and family might honorably come together to assist those in need in times of trouble, but the government wasn’t sought for such assistance. Individual rights, as stated in the Declaration of Independence, weren’t viewed as being granted and permitted by the government, but were yours from birth. That’s not only political, it is a spiritual assertion and truth which the American people have largely forgotten.

Fear is the root of the crises this nation is experiencing, and politicians will use it to the hilt to further their agendas. It takes courage to defy the common myths perpetuated by the government and media, but such courage is within each individual if they so choose it. It is the courage this nation was founded upon. Before outer issues can be addressed, we must look within.

I highly recommend the book New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton. His writings can confirm and strengthen truths you may recognize in yourself and enhance your understanding, and I believe his writings can also serve to awaken awareness of your spiritual nature if currently dormant or rejected by your mind. I view the mind as a tool to implement that which is within a man’s heart - the two are inseparable.

Finally, I leave you with one last quote from Merton’s book: “At the root of all war is fear: not so much the fear men have of one another as the fear they have of everything. It is not merely that they do not trust one another, they do not trust even themselves…They cannot trust anything, because they have ceased to believe in God.”