Madonna and Child - Il Sassoferrato
Over the past month I have been working from home, and during this time I have been privy to observing, on an almost daily basis, one of the most beautiful sights the world has to offer - young mothers caring for and playing with their small children. Several young women in the village I call home are mothers to toddlers and preschoolers, and on sunny, warm days - of which we have had many - I see them out in front yards or in the street, playing, walking, laughing, exploring, singing.
Occasionally I'll see an entire family walking hand-in-hand or out on bicycles. Sometimes the little ones are up on their fathers' shoulders or nestled in prams. Cherry blossoms bloom quietly in the background and the sound of birdsong fills the air. If the lockdown has had any positive effects, seeing the happiness of families being together is foremost among them. I have certainly enjoyed the extra time I have been able to spend with my wife and son, and when I see the young mothers with their children outside my window, I am reminded of those sacred, tender times when my little guy was still a baby.
The lockdown and everything associated with it did not originate from Good, but this does not entail that Good cannot arise from it. If any Good has arisen from the birdemic crisis and stay at home measures, I hope it will be in the form of renewed and fortified love within families.
The war against family has been vicious and prolonged, yet the lockdown and stay at home measures appear to have offered some moments of reprieve - a chance for individuals to strip away temporal stupidities and evils plaguing them and deepen their connection to a crucial and fundamental metaphysical and spiritual reality - a crucial and fundamental metaphysical and spiritual reality William Arkle addresses with great clarity in his work, Letter From a Father:
One of the most important ways I have chosen for you to learn what is vital for your understanding is to find yourself a part of a family situation on earth, for here you are able to go through the experience in one single lifetime, and with unbroken continuity, the experience of being a child, a mature individual and a parent.
In this situation, if you will only learn to pay close attention to it, are all the mysteries of the universe that matter to you.
If you take the trouble to stand apart and observe closely all the relationships that exist in your family situations, you will be able to observe as completely as you will how the problems of life arise, why they arise and how they are solved.
The family situation is a very special gift to you and one day you will be surprised that you took it so for granted.
The family situation is veritably a very special gift, and it is my deepest hope that many have used the events of the past month of 'staying at home' to rediscover this profound truth. Everyone seems to understand the temporal and material justifications for family - procreation, protection, economic benefit, etc. - but it seems an increasing number of us are forgetting the spiritual aspects of family, which is precisely what Arkle draws our attention to in the passage above.
The family situation is the foundation of spiritual learning for it contains all the mysteries of the universe that matter to you as an individual. Even individuals who have no family of their own can harken back to their childhoods, to their experiences of being children, of having parents or a parent.
Put simply - the family is the bedrock of Truth, Beauty, and Virtue. It has been and remains the foundation of Goodness. I am reminded of this everyday when I see the young mothers and children or families outside my window or when I spend a sunny afternoon with my wife and son.
Evil is working feverishly to foment chaos in the world, but its efforts have generated a most unexpected and, likely, unintended side effect - the potential strengthening of families. I take this as a sign of grace, and I hope people are taking full advantage of it because I have a feeling family will play an even more vital role going forward. In fact, I would go as far as to say family (and some trusted close friendships) may be all that matters in the months and years ahead. The seed of any future worth having is nested inside these close, concrete interpersonal relationships based on love.
Of course, not everyone thinks the potential strengthening and deepening of families during the birdemic is a good thing. On the contrary, some believe the birdemic crisis presents the perfect opportunity to do away with family once and for all, as demonstrated by this erudite "family-abolition scholar" who has recently been making the rounds after having completed a book on the subject.
Some of my readers are averse to considering the reality of demons and demonic possession. This short interview might just inspire some of these readers revisit their assumptions.
Evil hates families and thinks we deserve more.
I don't know about you, but I find Arkle's vision far more inspiring and beautiful.
To say nothing of true.
Occasionally I'll see an entire family walking hand-in-hand or out on bicycles. Sometimes the little ones are up on their fathers' shoulders or nestled in prams. Cherry blossoms bloom quietly in the background and the sound of birdsong fills the air. If the lockdown has had any positive effects, seeing the happiness of families being together is foremost among them. I have certainly enjoyed the extra time I have been able to spend with my wife and son, and when I see the young mothers with their children outside my window, I am reminded of those sacred, tender times when my little guy was still a baby.
The lockdown and everything associated with it did not originate from Good, but this does not entail that Good cannot arise from it. If any Good has arisen from the birdemic crisis and stay at home measures, I hope it will be in the form of renewed and fortified love within families.
The war against family has been vicious and prolonged, yet the lockdown and stay at home measures appear to have offered some moments of reprieve - a chance for individuals to strip away temporal stupidities and evils plaguing them and deepen their connection to a crucial and fundamental metaphysical and spiritual reality - a crucial and fundamental metaphysical and spiritual reality William Arkle addresses with great clarity in his work, Letter From a Father:
One of the most important ways I have chosen for you to learn what is vital for your understanding is to find yourself a part of a family situation on earth, for here you are able to go through the experience in one single lifetime, and with unbroken continuity, the experience of being a child, a mature individual and a parent.
In this situation, if you will only learn to pay close attention to it, are all the mysteries of the universe that matter to you.
If you take the trouble to stand apart and observe closely all the relationships that exist in your family situations, you will be able to observe as completely as you will how the problems of life arise, why they arise and how they are solved.
The family situation is a very special gift to you and one day you will be surprised that you took it so for granted.
The family situation is veritably a very special gift, and it is my deepest hope that many have used the events of the past month of 'staying at home' to rediscover this profound truth. Everyone seems to understand the temporal and material justifications for family - procreation, protection, economic benefit, etc. - but it seems an increasing number of us are forgetting the spiritual aspects of family, which is precisely what Arkle draws our attention to in the passage above.
The family situation is the foundation of spiritual learning for it contains all the mysteries of the universe that matter to you as an individual. Even individuals who have no family of their own can harken back to their childhoods, to their experiences of being children, of having parents or a parent.
Put simply - the family is the bedrock of Truth, Beauty, and Virtue. It has been and remains the foundation of Goodness. I am reminded of this everyday when I see the young mothers and children or families outside my window or when I spend a sunny afternoon with my wife and son.
Evil is working feverishly to foment chaos in the world, but its efforts have generated a most unexpected and, likely, unintended side effect - the potential strengthening of families. I take this as a sign of grace, and I hope people are taking full advantage of it because I have a feeling family will play an even more vital role going forward. In fact, I would go as far as to say family (and some trusted close friendships) may be all that matters in the months and years ahead. The seed of any future worth having is nested inside these close, concrete interpersonal relationships based on love.
Of course, not everyone thinks the potential strengthening and deepening of families during the birdemic is a good thing. On the contrary, some believe the birdemic crisis presents the perfect opportunity to do away with family once and for all, as demonstrated by this erudite "family-abolition scholar" who has recently been making the rounds after having completed a book on the subject.
Some of my readers are averse to considering the reality of demons and demonic possession. This short interview might just inspire some of these readers revisit their assumptions.
Evil hates families and thinks we deserve more.
I don't know about you, but I find Arkle's vision far more inspiring and beautiful.
To say nothing of true.
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