Living Affirmatively in Uncertain Times

November 4, 2001

“The inward journey is a trip to nowhere unless upon our return we have gained the wisdom and courage to live the truth we find there.” --The Rev. Stephen Shick

I picked up a handful of sand,
And it trickled through my fingers,
And I could not pick it up again.

All things change; nothing remains the same.
Spring comes, fills the heart with song and is gone.
Summer with its invitations to leisure is upon us.
And hardly have we taken hold of it
But the ripe fruit of autumn is in our hands.
Either we take it and enjoy it or it too decays,
And the sharp breath of winter and snow crystals
Are flying past us before the last persimmon is gone.

Lo, each in its time, each life in its every moment,
The baby, the child, the youth, the lover, the parent, the aged,
Is at its ultimate state in every moment, and passes on.
Pluck this moment as you would a precious flower;

Share it as it were love, and let it go.
Beauty and wonder lie all about you even now;
They, too, even as you, are never final
But always in process of both being and becoming.
Take then each moment as the perfect gift of life,
Knowing that you shall no more be able to hold it as it is
Than what is already past.
Even as you let go,
Another and yet different moment comes. . .
To be enjoyed or lost.

Certainly, these are frightening times. A war is raging in Afghanistan, and here at home acts of terrorism have shaken to the core our sense of safety and security. Even though the immediate risk to us and to our loved ones may be very small, we are surrounded by an air of uncertainty which permeates the most common activities of our everyday lives. There are troubling reports on the news, and these reports are repeated over and over again as news outlets compete to fill the airwaves twenty-four hours of the day.

Some of us, children and adults, have found it difficult to function “normally” in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Actually, it is perfectly normal to have some reaction to those events, and that reaction may include a difficulty to return to our regular routines of work and play. Disasters caused by other human beings are especially troubling, much more so than disasters which are “natural” in origin. So if you are having a hard time concentrating and accomplishing things, join the club. All of us have been shocked and disturbed by the events of the past two months, and some of us are having a harder time than others getting back to “business as usual.” A few of us may even be disabled by our fear.

A little historical perspective is useful here. Are these really the worst of times? I would suggest to you that they are not. Here in the United States, we have just passed through the greatest era of prosperity in our history. Our life expectancy has never been higher. Our ability to predict and prepare for natural disaster and to fight disease has never been greater. Certainly, our security is greater than it was in our parents’ generation or our grandparents’ generation.

These realities of life here in the United States are, however, not true for most of the people in the world. If nothing else, the attacks of September 11 and subsequently should have opened our eyes to the tremendous disparity of wealth and poverty which exists in our world. It should have shown us that we are no longer separate from or completely immune to the world’s troubles. Whether we want to be or not, we are part of a global community, a community which is full of political, religious, economic, and social inequities. How we respond to these inequities, more than our ability to wage war, will in the long term have the greatest impact on the quality of the times which are yet to come.

Also, if we look to the past,--even to the recent past--we will see that these are certainly not the worst of times. We are deluding ourselves if we think so. The current prosperity and security of people here in the United States is unprecedented; it is the exception and not the rule, not just abroad, but here at home as well. And I needn’t add that, even for some people here in the United States, there is still little security and even less prosperity.

The fact of the matter is, the world has always been an uncertain place, and for most of the world, it remains an uncertain place. Heck, life is uncertain! No one knows the day or hour, and no one ever has. Even the ancients recognized that everything was in a constant state of change from moment to moment, and that one cannot count on anything beyond the present. That is why they counseled us to carpe diem: to live for today, for tomorrow--some inevitable tomorrow--you may die!

Traveling abroad to a country such as Romania where our Partner Church is located--not even a “third” world country, but close--can be very instructive. For most of the people in the world have been living with uncertainty even as we have had the illusion of security. We have the illusion of control. Because we have one of the best public health systems in the world, we even have the illusion that we can conquer every disease and stave off every from of pestilence. Even death itself can seem unreal,--an illusion, a thing that can never possibly happen to me, or to us.

I am a firm believer in looking reality in the eye. For how can we ever really live, if we think we are never going to die? How can we appreciate the present moment if we believe there is an endless supply of moments, or love if we think what we love is imperishable? Uncertainty is the only reality, and we are only fooling ourselves if we think otherwise. We are not protecting our children by denying this reality, we are only deceiving them.

So here’s what I am suggesting we do in the face of this uncertainty, an uncertainty that didn’t just begin after the attacks on September 11, but which is always,--always--with us.

Don’t watch the news twenty-four hours a day. You don’t have to watch it just “because it’s there.” Kids, especially. Most of it is repetitious, and there is nothing positive to be gained from watching and listening to the same awful things over and over and over again. Especially if those things are disturbing the first time around.

Remember that we are not the first, and we certainly will not be the last, who have had to live in uncertain times. Read some history. There have been worse times in the history of the world and of our country. There is no excuse for our naivete on this score. Most of the world already knows what many of us are only now finding out. Plan for the future, but live for today.

Spend time with your loved ones. We have all been reminded how tenuous our lives are. Use this knowledge as a way to strengthen your relationships and to remember the preciousness of those you love. Talk about your feelings and your fears; don’t be immobilized by them. If your can’t talk to your family or friends, find a professional to talk with. Know that this too shall pass.

Get back to your usual routine. So long as it doesn’t harm anyone, do what you love to do. It is only infinitesimally more dangerous to do so now than it was before. Walk on the beach, go to a ballgame, take that trip you were planning to take. Appreciate the beauty of November--yes, November! Remember it is not the world that has changed, but only our perception of it. Our perception was faulty. It is still safer to fly than to drive in your car. Really.

Be a good listener. Be kind, because what is there in the world that is greater than kindness? The world is desperate for compassionate and empathetic people. We can never learn to love what we cannot understand. Don’t hate and focus on vengeance, it will only wear you out. Remind yourself that there is still much love and tenderness and thoughtfulness in the world. In fact, I am convinced that those qualities far outweigh the evil, though the evil always gets better press.

Contrary to what some at the highest levels are saying, consider changing your lifestyle. The American Way of Life may be great, but it is one of the problems in a world with an increasing population and diminishing resources. At some point, we have to begin to share the wealth. What can we do to be kinder to the environment? What worthy causes can we support? What can we do in the community that might help others, because helping others is one of the best ways to forget about our own troubles and worries?

Finally--preaching to the choir, I know--come to church! Not just for the journey inward, which as my colleague Steve Shick reminds us is only a “trip to nowhere” unless is leads outward into the world. Being with others is the greatest elixir there is, not just in bad times, but in the ordinary times as well. None of us is an island unto himself or herself. We need one another. Another good thing from the last few weeks is that we are maybe beginning to understand just how much. Don’t take each other for granted. There are no guarantees, but the reassuring news is, there never have been.

Get your head out of the sand! Life is still beautiful, it is still the greatest gift of all, and it is to be cherished on this day, and in all the days still to come. Embrace the mystery. Don’t be paralyzed by fear. Live life! Have courage. The world needs you now more than ever.

And may you be blessed in all your comings and goings, now and always. Amen.

The Rev. Harold E. Babcock