THE
BUSINESS OF LIFE
Clint
Evans
Do
you have any of the characteristics of Sir Galahad? The attribute we
remember him for was his eternal quest. In this continual quest many
of us resemble him. I do not mean that we are searching for some
mythical grail that possesses unusual and strange properties, rather
that we are searching, searching. We are searching for the real, the
genuine “business of life,” a personal mission. Many say
this relatedness is what American culture lacks.
Life’s
Relatedness
A
mentally healthy person is productive. He has a quality of
spontaneity in work and in social relations that we recognize as
creative. This creative state is largely dependent upon attitude. A
productive attitude is a quality of relatedness to self, to others,
and to God.
Christ
came to set before man this relatedness in its just extent, enforced
by all the sanctions of a divine authority, and by the most powerful
motives. This relatedness is beautifully exemplified in his own
sacred life and practice. The apostle Paul expresses these relations
to ourselves, our neighbors, and to God, by our living “soberly,
righteously, and godly, in this present world.” Tit. 2:12.
If
we are to find this relatedness which we seek, we must realize that
no man in any society lives for himself or dies for himself. Others
providentially have lived, and do live, for him. Therefore, both
religiously and morally he is obligated to live for others, or to
make his life profitable to them. We are all mutually involved in and
dependent upon one another in this great drama of life. We, as
people, constitute society, and society is the measure of the
environmental force in our lives. I mean, that if a man lives in a
highly moral, religious, and zealous society it will constitute a
tremendous force in his life. This helps to demonstrate our
responsibility to one another. It is mind alone that polishes mind,
an educated mind that educates mind. Hence, we owe it, not only to
ourself and to God, but to one another to do the most with the
talents we have. Only in doing this can we fulfill our obligations to
self and to God.
I
think what we are trying to say has been better said by Matthew
Arnold when paralleling Joseph Butler and Thomas Gray. To the
question why Gray, possessed as he undoubtedly was of the true poetic
faculty, produced so little poetry, he gives this answer:
Gray,
a born poet, fell upon an age of prose. He fell upon an age whose
task was such as to call forth in general men’s powers of
understanding, wit and cleverness, rather than their deepest powers
of mind and soul … Gray, with the qualities of mind and soul
of a genuine poet, was isolated in his century. Maintaining and
fortifying them by lofty studies, he yet could not fully educe and
enjoy them; the want of genial atmosphere, the failure of sympathy in
his contemporaries, were too great. The same thing is to be said of
his great contemporary, Butler, the author of the
Analogy.
In
the sphere of religion, which touches that of poetry, Butler was
impelled by the endowment of his nature to strive for a profound and
adequate conception of religious things which was not pursued by his
contemporaries, and which, at that time and in that atmosphere of
mind, was not fully attainable … A sort of spiritual east wind
was at that time blowing; neither Butler nor Gray could flower.
If
we, as we constitute society, have this profound influence upon the
productivity of one another, doesn’t it stress the necessity
for magnanimity, creativeness, and transcendence on our part? Just as
surely as “evil companions corrupt good manners” walking
among the concerned will polish them. We should strive to develop
Christian attributes because of our influence on others—and in
turn, their influence upon us. The man who is long-suffering toward
those with whom he differs is not especially charitable, because he
is serving himself also. He is helping to create the atmosphere
necessary for full development. This is needful if we are to work
through the maze of confusion, ill-will, and sectism that plagues our
age. We must make full use of our time and talent if the prayer of
our Lord for the unity of all believers is to be realized. (John
17:20-23)
The
Stuff of Life
As
we think of our responsibilities and mutual dependency upon one
another, and the necessity of personal development that might be
instrumental in developing those around us, the absolute misuse of
“time,” the stuff of life, stands
out
in
our mind. This misuse is brought about by a negative philosophy that
keeps many of us from the “business of life.”
It
is laid down as a principle among many of us, that there can be no
enjoyment of life without diversion. This is now carried to excess.
Pleasure seems to be the great object in life which has taken the
place of every other. The mistake is very unfortunate because it is
permeating the body of the Lord’s disciples. They are being
debilitated at a time every soldier is direly needed. The error of
this philosophy can be shown by demonstrating that there is no
enjoyment of life without work. That industry is the business of
life.
Words
often contain a witness for great moral truth. God has impressed such
a seal of truth upon language, that men are continually uttering
deeper things than they know. They assert mighty principles, against
themselves, in words that to them seem nothing more than the current
coin of society.
We
will look at some of the words that signify play and see if they
teach any moral truth. Those commonly used are, relaxation,
diversion, amusement, and recreation. The idea of relaxation is taken
from a bow, which must be unbent when it is not wanted, to keep up
its spring. Diversion signifies the turning aside from the main
purpose of a journey to see something curious and out of the way.
Amusement is the occasional forsaking of the Muses, when a student
lays aside his books. Recreation is the refreshing of the spirits
when they are exhausted with labor, so that they may be ready in due
time to resume it again. Therefore, the idle man, who has no work,
can have no play. How can he be relaxed, who is never bent to the
task? How can he turn out of the road, who is never in it? How can he
leave the Muses, who is never with them? How can he refresh himself,
who is never exhausted with business?
When
diversion becomes the “business of life” its true nature
is changed. All rest presupposes labor, and the bed is refreshing to
a weary man. However, a man confined to his bed is miserable and
longs to be out of it. He that has no variety can have no enjoyment.
He is sickened with pleasure, and, in the better hours of reflection,
would find refuge in labor itself. The most miserable person in the
world is one who has nothing to do but find a new way of doing
nothing. This blessing goes along with every useful employment, it
keeps a man upon good terms with himself, and consequently in good
spirits, and in a capacity of pleasing, and being pleased with every
innocent gratification. As labor is necessary to procure an appetite
to the body, there must also be some previous exercise of the mind to
prepare it for enjoyment. Indulgence on any other terms is false in
itself, and ruinous in its consequences. Mirth degenerates into
senseless riot, and gratification terminates in corruption.
Stephen
Foster could have lived a long and useful life. However, fame and
success led him to idleness, and idleness to extravagance, and
extravagance to intemperance, and intemperance culminated in drink.
Alcoholism kept him in poverty and weakened his creative powers. At
the early age of 38 he died in the charity ward at Bellevue Hospital,
New York City. Many of this age are bewitched with the ideas of
liberty, leisure, and pleasure.
The
progress is much the same with organizations and nations as with
individuals. When they rise from poverty, activity, and industry, to
improvement, ease, and elegance, they sink into indolence and luxury.
This brings on a moral delirium and they fall by a sort of political
suicide, or become a prey to some foreign enemy. Usually the former.
Life’s
Reciprocity
Is there today, as in the time of Gray and Butler, “the want of a genial atmosphere, and the lack of sympathy” in us? Are those “profound and adequate conceptions of religious things unattainable” among us? Are we “a sort of east wind” that keeps the Butlers and Grays among us from flowering? We do affect the level of aspiration of one another. Whether a man strives for great things or is content with little is determined largely by those around him. We should use our time well, since man was created for industry. Relaxation, diversion, amusement and recreation should become genuine words in our vocabulary. Let not leisure and ease become an end in life. He serves himself and his God best who serves his fellowman. To be useful is to be happy. Remember that “duty is ours, events belong to God.” The unity of all believers was Christ’s prayer. It is worthy of our effort. We cannot make too great a sacrifice to this end as far as personal endeavor is concerned.
_________________
Clint
Evans is publisher of
Restoration
Review,
employee
of Sinclair Oil Co., and a student in German and Philosophy at
Southern Illinois University.