The Sun'll Come Out

Yesterdays meeting was maybe not entirely typical of what happens when a diverse group of smart people come together to discuss questions that have no answer. This is a small venue ... I recall one meeting had 3 people in it and some, like this one, had maybe 30-40.

It's not that we had a singular question to examine, nevermind to answer. We were gathering to watch snippets of a documentary (by Armand Nicholi who is a Psychiatrist and Professor at a major university) that combined biography of Freud and CS Lewis with a discussion by a roundtable panel of very literate and smart folk (led by Nicholi) on belief/disbelief in God ... or a god.

I had decided to talk for 15 minutes and, as might be expected, it turned into 30; the more entrenched in the Last Quarter of Life I get, the less I manage to stay within the 15 minute stable ... I run off like a playful young horse -- who am I kidding? Still, most of the additional 2.5 hours were spent in respectful dialogue.

I was impressed by people's openness; M, who was also in attendance, was pleased. I was impressed, as I said, by the honesty of the participants ... there was a clergy person ... a theologian ... a bunch of psychiatrists ... a similar number of Psychologists and Social Workers  ... a Physicist/Economist couple who sat apart ... a young Seeker ... and people, in general, in no great need to proffer an answer but willing to play with each other's mind set about this question ... the film is called something like The Problem of God (a PBS piece). Ah, yes ... some wanted to wax theoretical ... I had the fantasy of falling into a hole in the midst of a field ... how, as moderator, do I get out of this. Shamefully, I used someone of the participants as a shill ... "hey, so and so thinks you're waxing too theoretical." I, apparently, didn't have the Kohones to simply say: "whoa." My goal was for people to arrive willing to end up someplace other than where they began on this question and most of us bring our theories all neatly packed with a bright red seasonal ribbon keeping it closed and tightly wrapped.

This was better. Personal. Up close, much of the time. I like that. Life is real ... Time for theory has to be boundaried.

Ach du Lieber .... These early Wintry days ... leaves are put away ... Holidays are being readied ... Certain faiths are enmeshed in prayerful Advent. A thoughtful time to wonder about our place in the Cosmos. Indeed, I thought it a fortunate coincidence that the readings for Advent on its second Sunday begin with Isaiah 40 ... "Comfort, Ye ... Comfort, Ye, my people" ... made famous not only by poor depressed Isaiah but by Handl and his Messiah suite. And a coincidence that my license plate on my car ... reads NACHAMU ... Isaiah's Comfort, Ye.  

Was I comforted? I dunno!

I wasn't expecting answers and I had a good time.

I wasn't expecting any more.

"Who is rich? He who rejoices in what he has" 

(Ethics of the Fathers c. 2,000 years ago).