Pay Attention

“You can best serve civilization by being against what usually passes for it.”

― Wendell Berry

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Dear Kate,

I am not sure yet what sort of new "faith system(s)" is going to emerge after the pandemic.

I wish, though am not too sure, a few hitherto indisputable, feather-ruffling doctrines will not grow back what they ruffled off.

For example, the doctrine that "Everything is possible," a ubiquitous evangelium in pop, consumer culture (successfully worked its way into mainstream religions).  Everything is possible, indeed, the pandemic shows us, including advertisers shutting up about how everything is possible if you are to buy what they are selling.  This doctrine, of course, must build itself on the rock of some bigger nonsense, such as "The chief end of Man is to glorify and enjoy oneself forever," or to become the "best version" of oneself.

Another example, the doctrine that "Love is all we need."  Even if this is true, we are bound to be disappointed on the basis that love is what we shall never have enough of in ourselves, for ourselves, let alone to have some leftover for others.  Am I saying we don't love?  Am I saying we didn't try hard enough to love?  Am I saying we shouldn't love?  I am saying to worship "love" we are pledging our own burning on an altar of...what, really?

Some said COVID-19 can't be from God.  Some said COVID-19 is definitely God's way to talk through a megaphone.  To the first I ask how about that one facial hair unsightly to you that grew out of you over night without you feeling, even less sanctioning it?  How about your unrequited love for a girl that you, after 40 nights of praying and fasting, are damn sure is God's chosen one, her sweetness and beauty created for you and you only?  Who are we to say what God can or cannot do out of, say, a piece of shit?  To the second claim I ask, can God speak most loudly without making a sound and it be that we were too preoccupied with our lazy theology to hear the what and how and when of Him?

Pay attention, this should be one of our new faith statements.  A pandemic doesn't come around too often, thankfully.  We don't want to miss a thing.

Yours, Alex