Reconciling Opposites

Divergent Problems

“All through our lives we are faced with the task of reconciling opposites which, in logical thought, cannot be reconciled. The typical problems of life are insoluble on the level of being on which we normally find ourselves...Divergent problems, as it were, force man to strain himself to a level above himself; they demand, and thus provoke the supply of, forces from a higher level, thus bringing love, beauty, goodness, and truth into our lives. It is only with the help of these higher forces that the opposites can be reconciled in the living situation.”

E.F. Schumacher (Small is Beautiful, pp. 97-98)

“As within, so without; as above, so below,”according to the Hermetic Corpus, is the biggest secret of life. A simple version of this translates to: what we think within ourselves will be reflected in the world in which we live. In other words, whatever we consciously believe and accept will be the circumstances of our lives. Another version has to do with the energy we generate—if we generate positive energy, we will attract positive energy, and likewise, if we generate negative energy, we will attract negative energy. We live on a continuum of what Schumacher refers to as divergent problems—opposites. The most destructive of these has to do with the perception of power, or the lack thereof, and how we have come to view power in general. In many ways we have shifted our perception of what is potent from an internal source, to an external one. Nowadays, carrying a weapon, at least in America, is seen as powerful; humility and grace are not. The one with the largest arsenal wins! Making threats and flashing wealth are seen as powerful, and living frugally and unpretentiously are not. When our sources of power are not internal, we are a very dangerous species, as is well documented.

We encounter divergent problems on a grand, global scale and on a daily, personal scale. Each day, we have to decide how to balance ourselves on the high-wire of ethical dilemma. Shall we do only what's expedient for ourselves, or shall we also consider the needs of others? Do we come down on the side of justice for all people, or do we consider injustice and inequality just part of the fabric of life? Are some people less deserving of our concern than others? If so, why? Do we use our religious beliefs to limit or ensnare those who do not hold them, or do we climb to a higher level, as Schumacher suggests, and bring beauty, love, truth and goodness into our universal consciousness. Real freedom is not won by external military might, but by discovering the inner power to love and honor all of creation in the human heart. That is, in your heart, and in mine.

                                                         In the Spirit,

                                                            Jane