Existence is far too ultimate, total, hole, beyond comprehension, unknowable, even too mysterious to ‘pin-down’. Any insights/signposts only serve to slice the totality of what ‘is’ [experience] into ‘manageable chucks’. But in a strange way, we all already know, what is.
There is a price paid for self-consciousness as existentialism says. Existentialism attempts at exploring what many neglects. Exploring the different ‘realities’ [givens or concerns] of human existence, placing a huge emphasis on responsibility and individuality. Life is individually experienced and therefore free and wild. But even this does not do full justice. Life is not totally individual, however much Western culture is becoming more and more individualistic suggests. Humanity has reached a point where we have been given the ‘tools’ to trap ourselves. If there is one thing humanity is accomplishing is, tightening the noose. Ultimately life is shared, Martin Buber has plenty to say on the I-Thou relationship compared to the prominent I-It relationship at the moment in society. Words borrowed from another writer describes it as ‘a monologue pretending to be dialogue’. By blending these together, we get life is individually shared and shared individually. This further suggests life is relational. Always contact with the ‘other’. Even if an-‘other’ cannot be directly perceived with the eyes. Objectivity does not tell the full story, nor does subjectivity. Humanity can never step 'outside' of experience peering in 'unaffected.' Experience is always in relation, self to other and other to self. The more we allow ourselves to be affected by the world, the more we will be able to affect the world. This has huge implications for the therapeutic process. In short, 'no man is an island'
Each polarity offers a flavour of truth, but at the expense of the other end. Rather a meeting ground must be met by integrating to both extremes that awakens a deeper truth.
Does life then mean to exist? Can we exist without life? What is life? But is there not something more to the person? And are there different degrees of intensities to this? In a way, in the modern age, humanity has already become chained hand and foot to technology, mindless, spoon-fed and zombie-like. Over-reliance on finding answers in the ‘easy’ way feeds into humanity's inherent laziness and tranqulises the human condition further. This hinders growth as the work that is required to ‘make progress’ is being substituted for knowing without knowing. Not only is humanity split collectively, but humanity is also split individually from within. How has this prominent way to live become the ‘right’= conventional way to live?
To speak freely on God or the 'nature' of God is frowned upon and even considered mad or part of someones 'illness' in particular settings. Given the level of oppression in society does not help matters.
Perhaps because this means in dealing with the known, unknown and therefore the mysteriousness of existence/creation. It is the Koan the common man does not even want to attempt. What is madness and what does it mean to be mad? The neurotics and/or psychotics who are openly connected and expressing what is essentially their brokenness and struggle to adjust to societies 'standards?' Or are the ones ‘doing ok’ keeping their heads above the water, pretending that the only reason why regular breaks are taken is to ‘rest their legs,' and catch their 'breath’ without questioning anything illustrating a different kind of 'maddness?'
Society places an emphasis on rationality, and religion if wrestled with demonstrates irrationality, and argues that religion makes no absolute sense. How can a God allow such evil to roam free to harm creatures he apparently so loves? This divides people, even creates internal splits in people. No rational God makes sense and partially because of this faith and trust is lost, right to the point of being; are these sacred texts real? Maybe on some level humanity wanted God to save us right from the beginning and because this has not played out, this has pushed humanity to question God's existence. This is one of many battles a person will internally wrestle with. Which has left bitter taste forever feeling, in a way betrayed by life, for no one choose/asked to be here, yet exposed and vulnerable to a whole arena of pain, suffering, disappointments, meaning, joy, pleasure and love. The only conclusion is that God does not ‘operate’ in rational [our] ways.
However the line drawn between good and evil, right and wrong, black and white is not always clear cut, often it is not.. Remember there is also grey between the black and white. Some people argue God is an abstract idealisation created by the church as something to give people to latch onto as a method to keep people in ‘check-mate’. Historically there is truth to this. There has been corruption in the church from the present to all down the ages. But not just the church exclusively, all religions all down the ages. Everything has an inherent balance because everything was created from balance. God is no exception. There is a side of light and there is a side of dark. This does not mean that by mathematically putting these sides together we have a complete understanding of who or what God is. This is an error and anyone that does this God derails, to show that our grasping [knowing] is ultimately not possible. Our error is that in the grasping [holding] what we are really seeking is comfort. We have been in or seeking ‘comfort’ for a very long time. Instead, God wants us living on an edge, a knife-edge, thus derailing us rattles our cage and reminds us of how much we do not or cannot know. This pushes, even shoves us back to our ‘beginners mind’ back to searching out, question and experience. Pick up where we left off and continue. Over the edge, ‘things’ are revealed.
This suggests in there is a darker side to God. This we cannot get away from. Life will and does break us. The difference is those who are ‘re-born’ and resurrect from their brokenness ‘become born gain’. These are closer to their true nature and those who may be caught up in the struggle and wrestling are closer than those who refuse there is an internal clashing of forces or acknowledge everything to be ‘doing-ok’ or that the world is ok as it is. Paradoxically even though a person may still be alive, there is no life [fire] in them. So there is also something about the way a person may interpret what life is. Left feeling ‘burn-out’, ‘dried-out’ ‘stuck in the mud’ and as much as individuals may try to evade death in a way they want it. And this they blame life for. Yes, it is partially life but it is also an individual responsibility. It is a life we are responsible for and a life that is responsible for us.
This blog originates and is inspired by Jamie Moran