A Time Without Culture; A People's Choice
Lonely is a cultured man in a time without culture. He walks among the dazed and lives among the distracted. Constantly, he knows himself to be out of place. He thinks with either compassion or contempt on those around him. If he is a kind soul, not too deeply affected by the stain of pride so often associated with that attitude which so soon takes the place of true gentility, then he considers those among whom he spends his life with compassion. If, however, he is of the more common sort and has only an arrogant wisdom regarding the lack of sophistication and complexity of interaction that his peers lack, then he is most to be pitied. He, being so far above others in his own estimation, can never appreciate the beauty of those simple lives, which it is the duty of true dignification to esteem. He, the antihero, is lonely because his pride will not allow him to know the company of others. The other, the heroic wanderer, is lonely in a deeper, more meaningful way. For, he understands what those he sees could be, which they in some measure understand to be missing, but cannot quite comprehend having not his appreciation for life’s delicacy.
The one man is to be pitied. But, which one? Who is the man to whom our hearts should go out? Do we feel for the fellow who despises his world’s lack of civility? Or, do our hearts conspire to comfort the one who mourns for his society’s vulgarity? One sees depravity and fanes repulsion. The other longs to see it healed. It may be supposed that the one we draw nigh unto is the he most like ourselves, and so we discover he who is more as we would have ourselves known. Therefore, with such objectivity as our exercise allows, we will inevitably prefer the compassionate man, though we do it by rote as children often answer a teacher’s questions in a Sunday School class, whatever their age may truly be. We do so because it is the “right” position, and in hopes (with doubts) that it is the position we would actually confess were we standing before the Judge of Truth. He demands no pretense and reveals the inner man, who we so eagerly hide even from ourselves. And, unless we give ourselves to regular self-reflection as He demands, we may be surprised by what we see therein.
It is this fear of truly being known that motivates the establishment and abdication of culture. Culture, with its rites, rituals, and regulated interactions, allows us to conform to a status quo. Yet, it also serves to expose us and make us vulnerable to criticism. Through the mask of mingling together we each are unveiled by how well we wear the visage. Is it not he who blends in that is accepted? And, is it not the misfit who is undone in a “cultured” society? Is not the one who most describes the model who is advanced and the he who cannot conform to the expectations who is made Pariah? Is it not the one who conforms who makes us comfortable while he does not blend who is cast as Rogue or Fop? Thus, we see that in the same way and by the same means, namely Culture, we disguise ourselves and are uncovered.
How then do we answer in our own time, Christian? Do we aspire to blend into our world, which wanders betwixt commitment? Do we try to stand out against said world? Or, do we do the hard thing, and turn toward He who knows our inner most man in order to know ourselves regardless of the world around us? Yeah, and do we then find confidence in a transitioning world by looking to the One who never changes? If we happen to be men and women of Culture, let it be the culture of Him who created us, saved us, and will judge us. If we chance not to be men and women of Culture, let us cling to the simplicity of the Faith, which is the envy of the lonely wise.
Every era has a culture, even that one which refuses to have one. The day has come for us to conform not to the expectations of others, nor likewise to oblige the automatic rejection of those expectations. We must bring the act to a higher plane. We must conform to the Culture of Jesus. We must discover the Way of Christ and conform ourselves to Him. If we are by all men considered lonely for not fitting in among those around us, then let us be lonely with the companionship of He who hung alone on the tree to give us eternal correspondence. Then, even if we shall be lonesome, never again shall we be alone.
The one man is to be pitied. But, which one? Who is the man to whom our hearts should go out? Do we feel for the fellow who despises his world’s lack of civility? Or, do our hearts conspire to comfort the one who mourns for his society’s vulgarity? One sees depravity and fanes repulsion. The other longs to see it healed. It may be supposed that the one we draw nigh unto is the he most like ourselves, and so we discover he who is more as we would have ourselves known. Therefore, with such objectivity as our exercise allows, we will inevitably prefer the compassionate man, though we do it by rote as children often answer a teacher’s questions in a Sunday School class, whatever their age may truly be. We do so because it is the “right” position, and in hopes (with doubts) that it is the position we would actually confess were we standing before the Judge of Truth. He demands no pretense and reveals the inner man, who we so eagerly hide even from ourselves. And, unless we give ourselves to regular self-reflection as He demands, we may be surprised by what we see therein.
It is this fear of truly being known that motivates the establishment and abdication of culture. Culture, with its rites, rituals, and regulated interactions, allows us to conform to a status quo. Yet, it also serves to expose us and make us vulnerable to criticism. Through the mask of mingling together we each are unveiled by how well we wear the visage. Is it not he who blends in that is accepted? And, is it not the misfit who is undone in a “cultured” society? Is not the one who most describes the model who is advanced and the he who cannot conform to the expectations who is made Pariah? Is it not the one who conforms who makes us comfortable while he does not blend who is cast as Rogue or Fop? Thus, we see that in the same way and by the same means, namely Culture, we disguise ourselves and are uncovered.
How then do we answer in our own time, Christian? Do we aspire to blend into our world, which wanders betwixt commitment? Do we try to stand out against said world? Or, do we do the hard thing, and turn toward He who knows our inner most man in order to know ourselves regardless of the world around us? Yeah, and do we then find confidence in a transitioning world by looking to the One who never changes? If we happen to be men and women of Culture, let it be the culture of Him who created us, saved us, and will judge us. If we chance not to be men and women of Culture, let us cling to the simplicity of the Faith, which is the envy of the lonely wise.
Every era has a culture, even that one which refuses to have one. The day has come for us to conform not to the expectations of others, nor likewise to oblige the automatic rejection of those expectations. We must bring the act to a higher plane. We must conform to the Culture of Jesus. We must discover the Way of Christ and conform ourselves to Him. If we are by all men considered lonely for not fitting in among those around us, then let us be lonely with the companionship of He who hung alone on the tree to give us eternal correspondence. Then, even if we shall be lonesome, never again shall we be alone.
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