There’s plenty that’s unsettling going on. One particular phenomenon that clutches and tears at my heart is the pervasiveness of people of all ages who seem to be adrift, floundering, lost. Children in kindergarten and in the primary grades already are showing deeply concerning signs of anxiety and depression. Middle-aged men, afraid of having no meaningful place in the world that is evolving, are committing suicide at a rate not seen, perhaps, since the Great Depression. People are breathing in, and succumbing to, an atmosphere of despair.
Masses of young people today behave as if they are “possessed.” They have been taken hold of by a soul-withering sense that they have no worth and no sustainable future. “What difference does it make?” and “Who cares?” can be indicators of something insidious – a complete lack of self-valuing. With this attitude, a person might slide into all kinds of self-destructive modalities. “It doesn’t matter,” becomes a cover for “I don’t matter.” “What difference does it make?” can easily develop into “What difference do I make?” “Who cares?” comes out as a cry, “Who, out there, really cares about me, if I live or die?”
Between continuous world-wide war and the present peril of climate degradation there is basis for anxiety and fear. We can legitimately wonder, who is willing to stop the mutually-assured destruction (M.A.D.); who has the will to make the sacrifices necessary to choose a future for all creatures. Re-asserting a future will require rigorous discipline from a great number of people – putting aside one’s illusions of safety and false sense of comfort. In a crisis, no-one “has it made.” We are all interconnected, and as long as anyone of us is struggling, we all are. We need one another to work for something much better, – a world where everyone has a place; everyone makes a difference.
This kind of transformation demands more than saying the right words. We need to “walk the walk,” not just parrot the right things. It doesn’t help to repeat phrases like: “I care;” “You matter;” “You are wonderful,” etc. if our actions don’t consistently match the words. It’s not about trying to be perfect; we can’t and we aren’t. It’s about following through, apologizing when we fall short, redoubling our efforts to show our love. Then the response to the question,”Who cares?” can be, “I care.” “You are precious, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to build a beautiful future for you, and with you.” This is what “I love you” means today.