- Dr. Vincent Kundukulam
Introduction
Since childhood, there developed in me the impression that there are two types of worlds around us: one earthly and another heavenly. With the religious education, the notion that we do not ultimately belong to this empirical world but to a transcendental one got strengthened in me. We were told that the ultimate happiness will be achieved only in the next world. The vision about this lasting and perfect world to come cherished in me a desire to lead a virtuous life.
Later, in the classes of philosophy, I heard about another kind of two-fold universe: the world of ideas (Plato), where everything of today existed already in an archaic form, and the actual one. If the former was utopic and invisible, the latter is concrete and perceptible. Thus, the possibility of a third world emerged in me. However, the understanding about the pre-existing world did not as such make much impact on me; neither the professors emphasized much upon it, may be because it is a past, conceptual and a non-experienced reality.
Those who belong to the spiritual world are not self-centred. Altruism is their nature. They are happy when others are happy. The sorrows of others become their sorrows. They calculate less and give benevolently. They do service without expecting any return. The words like profit, success and pleasure are not in the dictionary of their life. The absence of power, positions, fame and possessions does not make them unhappy or restless. They find pleasure in others’ growth and find their own success in others’ achievements.
But the awareness of the pre-existing world led me to think about the transitory nature of the actual cosmos; this present one is the extension of an abstract entity and is heading towards another stage of existence. In other words, we are at present in a passage between the old and the new worlds. Similarly, it made me infer that the current world, which is evolving, shall have the imperfections of any contingent reality. The instructions given in the seminary were partly aimed at making us aware of the ephemeral nature of the worldly affaires and instilling in us the desire to aspire more and more for the lasting realities. What if the objective of the whole Christian education is not anything else than to prepare people to get the taste of the spiritual world revealed in Jesus? The role of every religion is to equip humans to live with the vibes and drives of the heavenly abode.
The worldly World
Having said this, a natural question that surfaces in our mind would be where can we see these twin universes? It is difficult to see them through our eyes as they do not spatially exist. As regards the spiritual world, it is true that it will not be visible as it belongs to the transcendental order. But what about the worldly-world which is mundane? We cannot also see it because, it does not as such exist physically but exists like a mental state. It is in every individual but fully nowhere. Besides, its forms are varied from person to person, and at times, even contradictory.
Although we cannot perfectly point out the worldly–world, we can demonstrate some of its characteristics. The Holy Bible supplies us with several traits of worldliness. St. Paul partly explains it by enumerating the sins of the flesh: sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, orgies and the like. Presenting the worldliness from the perspectives of the flesh, the Pauline narrative is outshone by the sins directly attached to the body. But we know that the body does not act without the consent of the will. Hence, the whole person is responsible for the sins of the flesh too. Anyhow, the above-stated sins portray human affinity towards the temporary and perishable pleasures, which hardly elevate humans beyond the mundane world.
Reflecting from the perspective of modern times, I would see the worldliness as an excessive attachment to and undue acquisition of the human needs like the need for intimacy, security and self-esteem. For the healthy growth, people need to be loved and become able to love; they must feel recognized and have success. But when these needs are met through the false means and to the detriment of others, they become malevolent and dangerous to the society.
It is hardly possible to see people who are capable of meeting these needs moderately and maturely because humans are driven by a desire to have more and more of them. It is very difficult for us to say ‘enough’ for we never get the feeling of being content. We expect to experience a better happiness if we can consume more of them. Man is a being eternally condemned to be in the sense of want. We cannot be blamed for these lasting thirstiness as we are unconsciously driven by the feelings of inferiority and insecurity, the feelings that the primaeval men had from the origins.
The lent season is an opportunity for us to make a fundamental option between the two-fold worlds in which is caught the human life. Those who follow the qualities of the spiritual world shall begin to enjoy here and now itself the peace and joy of heaven.
The first humans got afraid at the encounter of the other in nature and it provoked in them two sorts of feelings; sense of fear and wonder. These two feelings were also at the roots of the birth of religious beliefs. Those who are caught up with both of these sensations, try to attain security by pleasing the Other but the consequent effects in them are very different. Those who try to be in union with the Other out of wonder, live with joy and in hope, whereas those who try to please the Other out of fear, live permanently in insecurity and in inferiority, without knowing whether the Other is really pleased by their efforts. The former grow in the capacity to love but the latter remain in the want of being loved. The former are overwhelmed with sense of confidence and security while the latter live without self-esteem and courage.
Those who are not liberated from the complexes of inferiority and insecurity, become easily prone to the immoderate yearning for recognition, dominion and pleasure. They are the ones who generally compete in the race for power, money and sex. Such ones will be restless until they reach up to the top of society, and once reaching at the desired targets, they will be still striving to reach new heights. They have no shame to use crocked ways to reach the winning line, because, to them the goals justify the means. It does not mean that those who are in the mainstream of the society are all slaves of lust, possessions and positions. It simply means that those who seek the pseudo ways to attain authority, to have wealth and to become famous are all generally driven by the vulnerable feelings of fear, inferiority and insecurity.
The unsatisfied souls who madly run after power, money and sex are found in every community, nation, political party and religion. They set their goals early, plan out strategies and carefully move the pawns. They interact with only those who would be beneficial in their march towards victory. On account of the utilitarian approach, they don’t have permanent foes or friends in life. Yesterday’s enemies may become today’s friends and todays’ friends may become tomorrow’s enemies. They act not according to the ideals but according to the law of pragmatism. All that leading to success and satisfaction are true. What matters in life is efficiency and not ethics. They crush down those who argue for justice and sideline those standing for truth. The spirit of reconciliation and compassion is not in them. Unfortunately, our society and Church are often governed by people of this worldliness.
The spiritual World
Having explained the traits of the materialists at large, we need not pen down many paragraphs to describe the qualities of the spiritual world; they are just the opposite to that of the earthly world. Those who belong to the spiritual world are not self-centred. Altruism is their nature. They are happy when others are happy. The sorrows of others become their sorrows. They calculate less and give benevolently. They do service without expecting any return. The words like profit, success and pleasure are not in the dictionary of their life. The absence of power, positions, fame and possessions does not make them unhappy or restless. They find pleasure in others’ growth and find their own success in others’ achievements.
Th characters of spiritual men are enlisted by St. Paul in the letter to the Galatians. The citizens of the invisible world of spirituality bear in life the fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5, 22-23). Guided by the gospel values, they resemble those for whom Jesus has promised the kingdom of heaven in the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5, 3-10). As they are meek, humble and merciful, they enjoy peace and happiness in life. Being the apostles of truth and justice, they may be tortured by those who govern according to the capitalist and corporate mind-set. Yet, they will not deviate from the path of righteousness. Although ignored by the authorities and rejected by the mob, they don’t become weak. Their life may be a failure in the eyes of the worldly men but not in their own view. They take joy in suffering with Christ for the development of God’s reign in the universe.
Conclusion
The temptations Jesus had to undergo in the desert were nothing but the embodiment of the struggles He had between the forces of temporal and spiritual worlds in the mind. In that infight, he strongly fought against the principles of mundane world. He travelled through the valleys of the spiritual world. The lent season is an opportunity for us to make a fundamental option between the two-fold worlds in which is caught the human life. Those who follow the qualities of the spiritual world shall begin to enjoy here and now itself the peace and joy of heaven.
Post-word
Be cautious of those preachers who label everything of this world as worldly. The world that was created by God and into which the Son of God was born is not, and cannot be, evil in itself. Identifying the secular world with the worldly–world would only develop dualistic attitudes in humans. Until we don’t learn to enjoy the unity of divineness in every being and diversity in their cultural differences, we won’t experience the inner harmony. Christian life is not a call to hate the present world. Both the secular knowledge and the religious wisdom have their source in God. Jesus did not portray this world as antithetical to His Father’s kingdom. He did not pray to save his disciples from this world but from the worldliness: ‘’My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one” (Jn 17, 15). To be Christian means to live in the world being caught by the waves and tides spiritual enclave.
