The idea of not trying to do/fix everything has been really significant to me. My husband was at Regent College 25-ish years ago, and one of his professors (John Stackhouse) encouraged the students that they needed to do almost nothing about almost everything so that they could really focus on the work God needed them to do. I've found that a really helpful idea, and have shared it a few times when I've had the opportunity to speak to young people - it always seems to come as a shock to them!
I understand the importance of acting locally - and of interacting with real people, rather than just ideas. But we Westerners have such an immense responsibility for so much of what is wrong with the world - our impact is far greater than just local - and I'm always a bit uncomfortable when people encourage local action as a primary goal.
The two main 'causes' I've focused on in my life thus far have been climate change and Modern Slavery. Both have strongly impacted how I actually live, rather than just been things to lobby about. Maybe that gives them some of the 'real-ness' I feel you were talking about, even though neither is all that local? And I've also worked hard at community-building on the extremely local scale (with close neighbours and my street) - mostly as I feel loneliness is such a scourge in the world in which I live. So I guess that's local. But maybe what we need is to find a thing or two to focus on, and then to really work on what we can do to help with that thing - whether it's local or not?
With our financial giving, quite some time ago, my husband and I decided to aim to broadly give 1/3 overseas and 2/3 to local causes. Partly because we do feel we have a special responsbility to our actual neighbours, partly because our money goes a lot further in most of 'overseas' than it does here...
Anyway, thanks for the post - food for thought :-)
Thanks for these reflections, Heather! So much goodness here. yes, I agree that what we're responsible for shouldn't be restricted to the "local" or anything like that (I didn't mean that bullet point necessarily to be for everyone, just my current takeaway), and I like the way you're connecting a global cause with some local manifestations as well. I think I see the local aspect as a partial antidote to the political hobbyism dynamic that obsesses over national, federal elections, rather than what you're describing.
Thanks for your reply. Also, not sure if you saw my comment on your previous post, but I put a wee introduction of myself there - I always like to know who I'm talking to :-)
I've always thought of Ecclesiastes as an expression of the meaninglessness of life lived only for yourself apart from relationship with others, as one of the only hopeful verses is about two having a good reward for their toil, and a threefold cord being hard to break. The rest of Ecclesiastes seems very inward focused. Most of Qohelet's experiences are self centred, self focused, and they just make him miserable and feel that life is meaningless (I've had similar times in my life).
That's generally been my reply to those who use Ecclesiastes as a basis for their despair about life. Yeah, if your focus is on yourself, your world will shrink and shrink and life will feel small and meaningless, but it's in reaching out to others in relationship, and caring about them and what’s important to them that makes life seem big and meaningful.
I like how your blog extends that from interpersonal relationships to justice in the world as a whole (or at least the parts you can tangibly impact for good). The further you take solid action for issues outside yourself, the more meaning comes into your life. My Dad used to say something like that "The more responsibility you carry well, the more meaningful/fulfilling your life is."
Of course "having a meaningful life" is again a selfish motivation. Jesus (as always) says it better: "If you try to save your life you'll lose it, but if you lose your life for my sake you will find it." Life is found in giving it away for the Kingdom of God, for justice, especially for those who are oppressed/on the margins. Easier said than done though... Thanks for your blog Michael, it's given me a lot to think about :)
Thomas, thanks for these interesting reflections. My PhD supervisor Craig Bartholomew thinks that Qohelet's internal debate is partially between an epistemology, or way of knowing, based on himself vs. an epistemology, or way of knowing, based on the creation faith of Israel. I think there's a resonance with what you're describing here.
The idea of not trying to do/fix everything has been really significant to me. My husband was at Regent College 25-ish years ago, and one of his professors (John Stackhouse) encouraged the students that they needed to do almost nothing about almost everything so that they could really focus on the work God needed them to do. I've found that a really helpful idea, and have shared it a few times when I've had the opportunity to speak to young people - it always seems to come as a shock to them!
I understand the importance of acting locally - and of interacting with real people, rather than just ideas. But we Westerners have such an immense responsibility for so much of what is wrong with the world - our impact is far greater than just local - and I'm always a bit uncomfortable when people encourage local action as a primary goal.
The two main 'causes' I've focused on in my life thus far have been climate change and Modern Slavery. Both have strongly impacted how I actually live, rather than just been things to lobby about. Maybe that gives them some of the 'real-ness' I feel you were talking about, even though neither is all that local? And I've also worked hard at community-building on the extremely local scale (with close neighbours and my street) - mostly as I feel loneliness is such a scourge in the world in which I live. So I guess that's local. But maybe what we need is to find a thing or two to focus on, and then to really work on what we can do to help with that thing - whether it's local or not?
With our financial giving, quite some time ago, my husband and I decided to aim to broadly give 1/3 overseas and 2/3 to local causes. Partly because we do feel we have a special responsbility to our actual neighbours, partly because our money goes a lot further in most of 'overseas' than it does here...
Anyway, thanks for the post - food for thought :-)
Thanks for these reflections, Heather! So much goodness here. yes, I agree that what we're responsible for shouldn't be restricted to the "local" or anything like that (I didn't mean that bullet point necessarily to be for everyone, just my current takeaway), and I like the way you're connecting a global cause with some local manifestations as well. I think I see the local aspect as a partial antidote to the political hobbyism dynamic that obsesses over national, federal elections, rather than what you're describing.
Thanks for your reply. Also, not sure if you saw my comment on your previous post, but I put a wee introduction of myself there - I always like to know who I'm talking to :-)
Yes! But I didn't realize it was a comment... just got it in my email. Still figuring out this whole substack thing!
I've always thought of Ecclesiastes as an expression of the meaninglessness of life lived only for yourself apart from relationship with others, as one of the only hopeful verses is about two having a good reward for their toil, and a threefold cord being hard to break. The rest of Ecclesiastes seems very inward focused. Most of Qohelet's experiences are self centred, self focused, and they just make him miserable and feel that life is meaningless (I've had similar times in my life).
That's generally been my reply to those who use Ecclesiastes as a basis for their despair about life. Yeah, if your focus is on yourself, your world will shrink and shrink and life will feel small and meaningless, but it's in reaching out to others in relationship, and caring about them and what’s important to them that makes life seem big and meaningful.
I like how your blog extends that from interpersonal relationships to justice in the world as a whole (or at least the parts you can tangibly impact for good). The further you take solid action for issues outside yourself, the more meaning comes into your life. My Dad used to say something like that "The more responsibility you carry well, the more meaningful/fulfilling your life is."
Of course "having a meaningful life" is again a selfish motivation. Jesus (as always) says it better: "If you try to save your life you'll lose it, but if you lose your life for my sake you will find it." Life is found in giving it away for the Kingdom of God, for justice, especially for those who are oppressed/on the margins. Easier said than done though... Thanks for your blog Michael, it's given me a lot to think about :)
Thomas, thanks for these interesting reflections. My PhD supervisor Craig Bartholomew thinks that Qohelet's internal debate is partially between an epistemology, or way of knowing, based on himself vs. an epistemology, or way of knowing, based on the creation faith of Israel. I think there's a resonance with what you're describing here.