"It is very easy to think of the poverty far away and forget very quickly. Today a great disease is that feeling of terrible loneliness, the feeling of being unwanted, having forgotten what human joy is, what the human feeling is of being wanted or loved. I think this is found in very well-to-do families also.
We may not have people hungry for a plate of rice or for a piece of bread in New York City, but there is a tremendous hunger and a tremendous feeling of unwantedness everywhere. And that is really a very great poverty."
-Mother Teresa
I recently had a conversation about anxiety and fear and their increased prevalence in today's society. Heinous crimes are committed by those who are searching, longing, begging for love and acceptance. While we may never know the cause behind the Virginia Tech killer, it's obvious he was plagued by the demon of loneliness. This does not, by any stretch of the imagination, explain or condone his crime in any way; however, I believe it is worth noting that loneliness is a powerful motivator. May we cast off our shrouds of fear and loneliness, living life as it is meant to be lived, with exuberance and abandonment.
2 comments:
Amen to that. I really wish I could live every moment of every day trusting that God is in control of that moment. It would certainly cut back on the amount of time I've spent worrying about things. I would probably even sleep better at night.
I am impressed with the content of your blogs---deep thinking and response to the world around you. I agree with your premise that much evil happens as a result of isolation, loneliness and abuse. Those abused(ignored, beaten, sexually used) tend to continue the cycle so they don't remain powerless. They find no meaning in suffering, just hopelessness and often anger. A lot of times the way I deal with all of this is to not think about it at all----and focus only on who around me does God want me to visit, call, give a listening ear to or look into the Bible with....don't know if that is right or enough...
Post a Comment