There are at least two great mysteries of life: What is its purpose? and Why did great civilizations fail?
I figured out the first a long time ago. Most people do in their lifetime: to love and be loved. Individually speaking, caring and being cared about are as basic as we can get and if we attain those, we are usually satisfied and happy with our lives over all.
That's easy to say and holds up pretty well no matter the context.
The answer to the other question is really profoundly related. Maybe not at first glance.
Archeologists are discovering that civilizations made up of vast populations thrived in various parts of the world for milleniaand then dissappeared. The physical aspects were obviously drought, pandemics, war, volcanic action, etc. Cataclysms that broke the infrastructures are blamed. But our current western civilization has survived wars, pestilence, and climate change, as must have other great eras of humankind. In fact, catastrophe tends to bring people together and can lead to better technologies to recover and thrive.
But not always.
Skipping past all the things most commonly blamed, I want to go biblical. When Jesus was asked what was the greatest sin, he replied, "Sin against the Holy Spirit." Okay. What is that?
In my understanding, the Holy Spirit is experienced when we bond in collaboration. Most simply put, it's when we discover two heads are better than one. It's when harmony is achieved through joint effort.
Sin against that spirit would be to fail to pay attention to the knowledge and offerings of the others around us. It's when some stop thinking others are real. It's where empathy has been lost.
When that happens, when we stop listening to all the voices, when we stop caring about what they know, that's when things begin to fall apart, just as in not loving or being loved,
There. You don't have to go up the mountain to seek wisdom from the all-wise prophet. Its right here in black and white.
Aren't you glad you checked with me today?
If you still don't get it, be patient. You'll figure it out.
