'Keep looking for God in unusual places - airports, magazines, etc.' - this is what went through my mind when I read an interview with designer Li Edelkoort. At the tail-end of the interview she talks about 'trouble zones' - from global (the developing world) and local (homelessness, unemployment, and so on) to the personal (the third world in us). And here's what caught my attention - "Why have we lost joy? Why are we jaded consumers? Where are our rituals?" She says that 'design' can solve all this. Maybe, I think.
Then she goes on to say that wars and victimization originate in anger, and that fear produces anger. She says creativity banishes fear, and therefore takes away anger. And that all education - particularly of our young children - must teach creativity above all else.
Not sure I agree with all of that, but certainly most of it. Teaching our children creativity - or just keeping out of the way of their creativity, not stifling it, is very important. Fear can lead to anger, as does attachment and pride.
Why have we lost joy, why are we jaded, what are our rituals? Those are great questions. As I read blogs and various other publications I see a lack of joy and a lot of jaded talk in many of them. As I travel around the country, I definitely see a lack of joy, and lots of jaded behavior. I think traveling brings out the worst in many people. And rituals? Who has time for them!?
And so I wonder about all this lack of joy, creativity, rituals and so on. I wonder about our collective cyncisim, jadedness (is that a word?). And to me, it seems to all point back to a lack of holiness & spirituality. It seems to me that true holiness and a living spirituality naturally bring joy to our souls that radiates out to affect those around us. It brings hope, optimism and love. Ritual plays an important role in all this too - it can provide a rich environment for all this to grow and develop. The ritual of Mass and a good liturgy does a lot in reinforcing/building my spirituality. Of course, good liturgy has a lot of subjective criteria. What's good for me might not be good for you.
And I wonder if the lack of joy, creativity and rituals that I've been noticing is new, or if it's just new to me. Am I just now getting the insight to notice it? Maybe it's like little pebble in my shoe - I can walk a while without being bothered much by it. But on a longer journey it becomes quite noticeable!
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