Find Some Reason to Believe

You’ve got to look through the daily headlines.

Bruce Springsteen sang, ‘At the end of every hard day, people find some reason to believe.’

I often think of the diverging stories of Peter and Judas in the gospels. Both betray Christ. Both weep at the realisation of what they have done. But one kills himself, and the other becomes the chief apostle.

Why?

Because the final sin of any person or society is despair. That’s the only unforgiveable sin – because it has no hope, despair counts out the future.

Whatever we go through, if we keep hope alive, we can hang tough in the midst of any problems and grow through them.

The same goes for our society.

Terrible things happen every day, but so much good does too.

Look at the headlines.

Yes, our universities are burning, but it is highly possible that online education is about to help foster a revolution that undercuts expensive and clumsy Higher Ed monoliths anyway – so long as it includes mentorship and human contact.

I am fairly sure going to the library and just reading and discussing important things is better than almost any humanities degree in South Africa anyway.

Remember load shedding? A lot of experts are now saying an energy revolution is around the corner which will drastically cut the cost of power and make renewable fuels a reality.

Maybe this will foster a boom of economic growth, an increase in wealth, and a surge in apprenticeships and on-the-job learning.

What about crime? As I wrote before, who knows? There might just be a rapid decline in 2024 as we get the lead out of our system.

Regardless, we have examples from all around the world showing crime can be reduced. One example: the crime rates in London pale in comparison with what they were hundreds of years ago.

Remember, there is little chance any of our children are about to go fight a war in Europe that will kills tens of millions. Such a thing happened within living memory.

Life is difficult and dangerous, but it has always been so. We have always needed the consolations of philosophy, art, food, drink, community, and the hope of eternity.

Face the truth, but for the sake of our souls, and our society, we must also find some reason to believe.