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THE CAMBRIAN PESHER
THE VOICE OF THE DESPOSYNI TO THE AMERICAN DISPERSION
American Memorial Day, 2004
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
- James 1:12
Brethren:
I teach my children that every generation must be tested. We all are tested individually throughout our lives. We are tested in our responses to negative and positive things. Sometimes, there are personal crises in our lives that require heroic determination to overcome. Other times, we are blessed with extraordinary success or unearned benefits. How we steward such blessings is also a test.
The Culdees (Druids converted to Christianity) taught that mankind no longer must concern itself with the issue of atonement. The ultimate sacrifice for sin has occurred through the death of Jesus Christ. There is nothing we can do that can improve upon that holy offering. All that is left is the personal pursuit of virtue. The concept of marytrdom in the Celtic mind was one of sacrifice, not to atone for sin, but to honor the memory of our Lord. It was the ultimate act of virtue.
There were different kinds of martyrdom. "Green martyrdom" was to live the life of the ascetic. The idea was to sacrifice personal happiness for the happiness of others, principally for God. We can see how this kind of martyrdom can be lived in our normal lives. But the idea was soon corrupted from Latin influence which convinced many of the Celts that God was more pleased by the denial of our humanity and the renunciation of family life in the pursuit of prayers, fastings, and solitary living. As my book on hierogamy demonstrates, marriage which results in children is itself a spiritual discipline - perhaps the highest kind. For it is a discipline which attempts to teach mankind the familial offices of the Blessed Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Yes, the problems of life are opportunities for developing Christian character, but they are, more often than not, corrections of our false thinking and reckless behavior. Age has a way of visiting us with the consequences of our choices, good and bad. Age means experience and experience teaches wisdom. There are certainties in life. One of those certainties is death; yet it is amazing how many people ignore that realityand avoid planning for it.
But, aside from the reality of the personal temptation, I also believe that every generation must face, collectively, a great test. Through our governments and institutions, we make collective choices which affect us all. The decision of past political leaders to fight various wars have affected how we live our lives today. Outside the experience of Vietnam, the American people have been fortunate not to have lost their wars. Things do not go well for nations that lose their wars.
I teach my children that every generation must experience a collective crisis which may require deprivation and determination to overcome. Perhaps it is a war, a famine, or some kind of natural disaster. It might occur at the beginning of their lives, in the middle, or at the end, but rarely does a human being live a normal life span without his society facing an epoch-ending calamity.
My grandparents lived through the "Great Depression" as adults. The 20th Century saw two devastating World Wars. That generation is slipping away and a new untested generation is taking the stage. What crisis might be before us?
It might be the natural kind. There is much talk of climate change and destructive encounters with celestial bodies. Will this be our next test?
Civilizations have experienced these kinds of disasters in the past. We should draw hope from the determination of our ancestors not to give-up on life. What kind of comfort can our faith provide? Always remember, the "end of the world" always means the beginning of the next one. If you had the opportunity to start the world over again, what would you change to make it better than this one? We need to begin to think about such things. We might get an opportunity soon.
Click on this link to see my latest update on Earth Changes.
In Jesus,
James
Prayer for the Day:
Almighty and everlasting God, you made the universe with all it marvelous order, its atoms, worlds, and galaxies, and the infinite complexity of living creatures: Grant that, as we probe the mysteries of your creation, we may come to know you more truly, and more surely fulfill our role in your eternal purpose; in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.