I think that a great many
people would agree that as years go, 2016 has been somewhat less than ideal. A
slew of well-loved actors, singers, writers and other famous personages have
shuffled off this mortal coil, while we’ve been faced with unexpected political
upheavals. Here in the UK, we suddenly found ourselves preparing to drift away
from the European Union, a situation that I do not consider to be good, either
in the short or long term, and in the US they’ve just managed to elect a man
who, as far as I can tell, is woefully unsuited to the job, and whose campaign
has relied largely on divisive and discriminatory rhetoric. I suspect that for
many people, especially for minorities in the US, this is a real ‘one set of
footprints’ time for them.
Nevertheless, I remain
cautiously optimistic. In the case of Mr. Trump, I hope that the realisation of
the responsibilities he’s taken on will cause him to rethink his more radical
policies, and present a more conciliatory and understanding style than his
populist vote-winning suggests. In the UK, there is a chance that we will be
able to make something of our new-found independence, and that the rash of
racially and religiously motivated attacks and harassments that followed the
vote will die back down, and Britain will maintain its reputation for tolerance
and openness.
I’m not saying I necessarily
think these will happen, merely that I remain quietly, cautiously optimistic. I
have been thinking recently about one of the less well-known Christian virtues;
that of Stillness. In eastern traditions, it might be called tranquillity. In
Catholic thought, it is (or is related to) the heavenly virtue of Patience,
which our second holy tome (i.e. Wikipedia) defines as “the forbearance that
comes from moderation; enduring the seemingly unbearable with patience and
dignity; building a sense of peaceful stability and harmony rather than
conflict, hostility, and antagonism.”
It is also, obviously related
to the theological virtue of Hope (pipped to the top spot by Love, but nonetheless
on the podium as one of the Top Three Virtues as voted for by a live television
audience). Of course, Hope is itself related to its fellow medalling virtue,
Faith. I suppose that in some ways it is much like the classical virtue of
stoicism, although that has connotations of emotionlessness, of suppressing the
emotions and the outwards display of them, rather than cultivating a stillness
within oneself.
Christian scripture, litany
and hymnody is full of calls to stillness. “Be still, and know that I am God”.
“Be still, for the presence of the lord, the Holy One is here.” “Be still my soul.”
It’s about remaining calm,
remaining tranquil, being patient and hopeful in the face of upsets and
setbacks. It is about trust as well, about having faith that, in the words of
Julian of Norwich, “all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of
things shall be well.” Or, if you prefer, not disimilar to that now horrifically over-used,over-adapted and irritating wartime catchphrase "Keep Calm and Carry On".
It is easy to react,
especially given the way the world seems to be shifting back towards bigotry
and intolerance, with fear and despair, or worse, anger. The protests we’ve
seen in America in the nights since the election are not a useful reaction to
the election of Mr. Trump. They are an emotional lashing out, and while they’re
perfectly understandable, they are not helping. If anything they’re making
things worse and confirming Trump’s supporters in their conviction that they
represent order and lawfulness. He was
fairly and democratically elected, now we have to figure out what to make of
the situation we’ve been given.
I am not suggesting not taking
action; stillness isn’t about inactivity. Having faith and hope in a better
future doesn’t mean sitting around and waiting for it to happen. Action must be
taken, work must be done, that future must be built, and we, unfortunately, are
the ones who must build it. We must have faith that we will be guided and
supported in that work and remain hopeful that the goal is achievable, despite
what appear to be difficult times and significant setbacks. We must keep moving forwards, and atempt to remain still while we do it.
So, I shall try to remain
patient, I shall try to remain hopeful, I shall try to maintain my faith both
in God’s guidance and in the future He guides us towards. I shall try to be
still, and in the stillness, hear the small, silent voice that says, “All will
be well. I am with you. Do not be afraid.”
I’ll finish this post with a
verse from the hymn, Be Still My Soul:
Be
still my soul, thy God doth undertake,
To
guide the future as he has the past.
Thy
hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All
now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be
still my soul, the waves and winds still know,
His
voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.
