Fearing imagination

No sooner did I complete reading the first reading of the Mass then it did strike me that the situation therein was not very different from the present situation of the West.  The reading from the book of Exodus, speaks of the fear among the Egyptians of the growing number of Israelites.  

The situation today of the West too is similar.  In the context of the immigrants and migrants, there is a sense of 'fear' among the residents that they would be overrun by these 'outsiders' sooner or later.  Hence the animosity, anger, protests, ill-treatment... The strange but true fact of human nature - then and now - is that when I fear, I start oppressing the other.  Rather than tackle the fear within me, I begin to make others frightened of me!  

The gospel offered very mixed and strange response to this dilemma: those of the household shall become enemies;  whoever loves life will lose it...; whoever receives you, receives me...; whoever gives a cup of cold water to these little ones....  Interestingly it does not mention of fear.  

I guess there is a logic in the statement that fear clouds clear thinking. 

Fueled by imagination

In philosophy there is now an ongoing debate whether its main task is to describe or explain reality.  Others ask if philosophy is altogether redundant given the growth of science.  Therefore some claim that it is needed to justify.  However, most of it can truly be called a pure mind-game.  One needs philosophy not for survival but for meaning.

Am thinking, all of this is something we adults engage ourselves with. Children on the other hand, are happy with what they have at hand - at least most of them.  Simple reasoning and even lies told convincingly satisfy them immensely.  They are not too worried about logic or reason.  In fact, they don't care about it at all, and are even attracted to the most illogical and irrational of things!  I guess that's because they prefer to let their imagination add up the rest.

And in their own world, they have a perfect understanding of things between them - their signs, language, actions, thoughts, behaviour... But as we grow old, we feel the need to understand 'perfectly' everything around us.  Everything has to be orderly, neat, organised and systematic.  Perhaps the child also goes by the same principles of order, hierarchy, organisation and system... only that it defies all logic.

Imagination

Here's one from Fr T.V. Jose's treasury:

Imagine, you come face to face with a ferocious lion.

How would you escape from it? 

... Stop imagining!

From Mark Twain

Here's a quote from Mark Twain, that I came across while reading something about him. (Just a fitting end to a grand day):

I've been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.

We live in a world riddled with fear and anxiety. Most of our actions and decisions are based on imaginary consequences, mostly negative ones. Blessed are those who think positively and are able to see and do things for something rather than not or withold taking initiatives.