TRUST

Of all animals, the human is perhaps the most impatient, especially those of us brought up in the so-called Western tradition. We prefer to plan everything down to the last item and become most upset if something intervenes to delay the realisation of those plans. We live in a society where most people feel that the progress of each individual life is solely dependent upon the energy expended by the individual; that everything happens due to our own efforts. Such an outlook on life leaves little or no room for the idea that in fact each life is governed by a divine plan set out before we were even born. There is much truth in the story that a wag, on being told that a certain individual was a ‘self-made man,’ commented, “That relieves the Almighty of a huge responsibility!”

When something occurs in our lives that is beyond any remedial action by the individual; when for instance nature decides to exert her power through, fire, wind or water; when another individual whose permanent presence in our lives has been taken for granted is removed by death or some other cause; when the operation of man-made economic systems brings financial and or social ruin; when we are brought face to face with our comparative weakness. Where can we turn? In a society where personal, temporal ambition is prized and worshipped above ethics; where corruption is de rigour even in so-called advanced societies; where social responsibility and caring for the weak and less fortunate are believed to be duty of the State, how are we to cope with apparently insuperable problems, to say nothing of the seeming aimlessness of our lives?

Surely we need to learn, not just from our own experience and from seeing what is going on around us, but from the past as well. History is full of examples where enterprise was combined with humanitarian principles and successful businesses were run on totally ethical lines. Take Robert Owen the eighteenth century Welsh social reformer and businessman for example. His enlightened business practices revolutionised industry, gave education, decent wages, decent housing and good medical care to his workers and in the process brought him handsome profits. The principle of “might is right” that seems to be the driving force behind today’s multi-national corporations is not the only way to run successful businesses. What is more, personal lives based upon the highest ethical principles have always brought mutual satisfaction and happiness to all concerned. Greed and envy have no place in a caring life but such a life need not be dull and unadventurous as some would claim. Having said this it is vital to recognise that such negative qualities are present in our nature and a constant battle must ensue to conquer them and often we will fail. We must never give up the fight or fail to offer understanding to others for they are waging the same battle.

As with all collective problems, solutions have to be found within each one of us. Society is merely a reflection of the attitudes and behaviour of the individuals of which it is composed. In my view to create a better, more caring society, we need to begin by re-examining our basic beliefs. Materialism is probably the most sincerely practised “religion” in our modern world. It has brought in its train big improvements in the living conditions of millions but it also lays waste much of our planet. Additionally it has produced an attitude of mind that is directly responsible in my view, for the overworked medical and psychological professions that are trying in vain to cope with humanity’s neuroses and fears.

Materialism has separated human beings from their spiritual heritage as well as from Mother Nature. These twin amputations are producing a race of human beings that are sick at heart. Sick because we have lost our spiritual bearings. We foolishly believe that only with what can be measured by our five poor senses, can our earthly lives be successfully lived. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus of Nazareth urged us to “Consider the lilies of the field; they toil not, neither do they spin and yet I say Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed as one of these…” Look also at the lives of country people not just in the past but today also. Because they live closer to the rhythm of nature, they have an innate appreciation that life is a great deal more than is revealed by our five senses. Consequently, I guarantee that the level of sickness among them is significantly less than is the case with those living and working in cities.

The basic truth we need to acknowledge before we can bring about the improvements to our world and our society that are so urgently needed is that life – all life- is of the spirit. It is therefore eternal. Accept this simple fact, for which there is overwhelming evidence, and our whole attitude towards life and other people will undergo a transformation. We will not only realise that this earthly life is not all there is and that material success is not the only yardstick by which to measure our worth but it also becomes easier to accept the existence of that divine plan I referred to and to TRUST. To trust that what is happening to us is part of our growth as spiritual individuals. It does not of course relieve us of the need to act but how we act takes on a new and more tolerant meaning. Trust that every experience is important, act with consideration towards others and do the best we can at all times; Thus will our lives become less stressful and more fulfilling.

“Who does the best his circumstance allows, does well, acts nobly, angels could do no more.”