I have just begun re-reading (for the third time in my life) one of my favorite novels, A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens.
For those who have never read the story, it’s a novel, set in London and Paris, before and during the French Revolution. Dickens describes the plight of the French peasantry demoralized by French aristocrats in the years leading up to the revolution and the subsequent brutality aimed against them by the revolutionaries in the early years of the revolution.
Masterfully, Dickens weaves his tale in such a way that he exposes the many unflattering social parallels with life in London during the same period.
The novel begins with the oft-quoted words, “It was the best of times and the worst of times.”
Oh, what a similar tale could be told about the times we live in today, a time of revolution as the very fabric of Western civilization seems to be crumbling beneath our feet.
Nothing is sacred anymore. Cherished customs, rituals, traditions have simply disappeared, leaving a vacuum in their wake. Society is increasingly repressive. Almost every human endeavor or experience has become politicized. People are more divided and hostile to opposing points of view or value systems.
Yet, in the very same moment, we live in times and circumstances which human history has never before witnessed. In much of the world, people are richer than ever before, yet seemingly struggle harder to make do with what they own. People have access to vast and previously unimaginable sources of knowledge and information, yet appear to be less capable of rational thought than ever before. People enjoy more leisure now than in the past, yet they are frantic to fill those leisure moments with all sorts of activities which place additional demands upon their time and attention.
This isn’t the stuff of speculation. It’s verifiable. Just go out and spend some time around people (at the store, in restaurants, working or playing, in whatever circumstance) and you will witness and experience for yourself the bounty of life and opportunity which engulfs us as well as the overriding sense of ennui and dissatisfaction of so many.
What Dickens wrote applies (perhaps even more so today): it is the best of time and the worst of times.
As I observe my fellow human beings, I notice more and more that people appear to be less thankful or appreciative. A great feeling of ingratitude appears to permeate life itself these days.
This lack of thankfulness is visible in so many ways. Particularly evident to me is the fact that people don’t say a word of thanks to the Lord at mealtime. It’s a simple thing to focus upon, I know, but it’s all the more significant because it is so easy to do.
To acknowledge that the food which sustains us comes to us as a gift, a blessing from the Lord. And whether we are dining out or at home, the custom of simply bowing our heads in reverence to God and expressing our gratitude for His Bounty has become a forgotten ritual. We may find it easier to offer a prayer of gratitude at Thanksgiving Day celebrations, but I have known even on those occasions the awkwardness among those seated around their family tables.
While it may be presumptuous of me to extrapolate from the forgotten prayer of Grace before meals to one’s prayer life in general, I do believe that folks just don’t pray very often, if at all in their day to day lives.
Why?
There are as many different reasons as there are individuals. Yet, there are some similarities as well.
First, I believe that people today are very resentful and envious of others. Their desire to have as much, do as much, enjoy the same advantages that others have and they lack stirs up feelings of resentment, anger and unhappiness. By focusing on what we lack, we diminish our ability to appreciate and enjoy what we do have.
Second, we have created the fantasy that the world is obligated to provide for all our wants and needs. This sense of entitlement is pervasive. Relationships in general and even in individual cases are now valued by what others can give us. The dissatisfaction which result when those expectations are not met strain these relationships to the breaking point. Witness the demise of marriage and family life, the building block of social order.
The sense of entitlement, that the world owes me everything not on the basis of merit but simply because I exist, is a dangerous attitude, so very often at the basis of so much self-destructive behavior.
Envy and entitlement have created false expectations with us. When these self-serving expectations fail to be fulfilled, we become angry and sullen, complaining and complacent, leading to all kinds of disorders both psychologically and physically. We become more introverted and self-conscious separating ourselves from others who we judge to be inconsiderate or uncaring of us. Humanity becomes increasing isolated. People tend to become more and more indifferent to and less sympathetic of others. Life seems more crusty and cruel than it should be.
I don’t know if there is a cure, but I think there’s a treatment for this spiritual anemia.
And that’s developing an attitude of gratefulness for who we are and the blessings we’ve been given, given by God and the people with whom we share the brief span of our lives.
For me, saying that simple Grace before meals and truly being thankful is critical to my spiritual outlook on life. Being generous in offering thanks to people in every shared experience of my life, from the store clerks, to the waitresses, to the doctors and nurses, the handymen and janitors, the politicians and the public service workers makes me feel more connected to others.
Just being conscious that all of what I experience comes as gift helps keep me joyful and humble, truly so, and appreciative for the goodness of other persons, be they Divine or just simple folks like myself.
Thanks for reading this post and enjoy and be grateful for the blessings of this and every day!
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