WHICH WAY?
I find a rather large accumulation of talk cluttering today's news sources about “basics”.
They are enduring qualities which are also referred to quite often as the “old fashioned values” found in “the good life” lived, it seems, in the past. I meet people quite often who extol an era they once knew, or heard of, in which social, moral and spiritual ties solidified relationships in the finest ways and, always, far better than anything being does today.
So much of this talk remains just that - “talk”. Too often the nostalgia elements place it all in the past and it comes as a shock to find the very same principles apply today as well. That point arrives when we hear ourselves thinking “we have got to go back to the basics!”
But that can be a danger point, too. When anyone claims it essential that we go “back” to anything, I cringe inwardly. Returning to actions of the past scares me – no end.
I can understand that we might reflect, for a moment, or what has been tried in the past and may consider trying it one more time. It did not work or we would not be facing the situation in its present form.
To consider “going “back to the basics” to be essential action to be taken is an act of self-deception. It is, however, quite common to hear such views bandied about when a change is to be made. It is, in truth, not a time to go back to anything but, rather, a time to advance - to try new avenues of venture and inquiry, and, if it helps, to call it an act of “strategic withdrawal“ enabling us to set up new routes of attack on the problem. Going back admits defeat, mistrust, imperfection, half-way efforts and lack of concentration of power for good over that of evil.
Think of the number of problems facing our nation today Some are relatively new and others aged and still unsolved in relation to the use we make of them today. They have been, in many instances, been. Used, altered,modified and bent to meet the needs of a specific era, but they remain in need of changes to keep up to date.
Consider “Education” – everyone's business. The there is “Economics” - calling for specialists in various fields. How about War and/or Peace? What should we be doing about “Space Travel? Space Settlement?” Another one: what can we do to bring down “Medical Costs” of all kinds. If you want to make up as list of your very own., start for example, with “Railroads” and other forms of travel or consider what power source we are going to have available after we use up our fossil fuel stocks.
You can't go back to find the solutions for that which we need. Forward is the direction required and that which is basic to our every need is, in fact, that element we call “faith” knowing that goodness will endure as we work for it.
A.L.M. August 23, 2004 [c517wds]
