So many of our problems come from our shortsightedness. We only look at the moment and forget about the omnipotence of God, the love of God, and the big picture.
We forget about
resilience, and the short-term impact of emotion. We need to learn to step back, acknowledge the temporary nature of the current situation, and remember that every situation changes, either by our efforts or by the flow of everything around us.
I am currently reading a collection of essays/lectures on suffering, pain and resilience written by those in the psychology field. One of the papers is exploring the idea that American culture has turned spirituality into a marketable field. The idea is that appealing to one's spiritual needs is really no different than appealing to one's physical needs/wants.
While that may be how religion is
commonly viewed in our culture, but this is not how Christianity is. The
Christian faith is about one's relationship with God. It's not about feelings,
or about things to do to avoid going to hell nor is it about appealing to God as a Santa
Claus to get what one wants.
The final goal of spirituality is not an object to be gained but about loving and being loved by the one God in three persons. This is similar to thinking that marriage is for financial reasons rather than love and relationship.
The problem of authority. Rebellion
is always about pushing back against authority. But it is likely the case that the
way that the West has established and enforced authority has been wrong. Proper
authority is not about control but about preparation. Authority is in place to
prepare the immature for making decisions for themselves when they become
mature. Sometimes errors should be allowed with the subsequent negative consequences,
not from punishment but from natural results.
