Graduate 53: Arnold versus Wilde

I've mentioned both Matthew Arnold and Oscar Wilde in previous blog entries. They continue to fascinate me for their radically different perspectives on the world and for the modes of thought that they seem to represent.

The following material is from my final exam in Victorian Literature, a class that I took in the Spring of my senior year. The prompt called for me to write a dialogue between Arnold and Wilde, revealing and interacting with the salient points of their respective ideologies. Now my knowledge of either of these figures is extremely limited; a friend already pointed out some problems with "Senior 44: Art, Oscar Wilde." But if every statement in the fictitious dialogue below does not accurately reflect the actual thoughts of the individual, I think that I still capture something of their unique voices.

Dialogue is an interesting literary form. Peter Kreeft has recently published several very-engaging dialogues, and I think I would be so excited to master the technique and skill.

In the material below, one of the greatest challenges was to keep the conversation moving and avoid a stalemate. (I am moving away from presuppositionalism, but that world view model does contain compelling features that tend to make truly meaningful dialogue difficult. Hopefully I'll write soon about rationality and refuting the view that posits the existence of many irreducible and irreconcilably distinct world views.)

The other challenge was to not favor one side over the other. Because Wilde is somewhat indifferent to the topic of discussion, Arnold must motivate the discussion, and that can make him seem truculent and argumentative. I agree with Arnold but acknowledge that Wilde's position is, in some respects, difficult to refute. I try to be fair to both sides.

The material has not been edited for content from the original timed-exam form, so please be gracious with its inadequacies. I have included two of my teacher's critical comments in brackets.

--

Arnold: In literature may be found the hope of England in this new age. If we are to escape from anarchy and truly prosper than we must see things as they are. And a strong education in the classics will furnish us with the means to dispassionately evaluate our own age.

Wilde: I think that I almost could not disagree more. I also admire the classics - some of them, but I do not see what they have to do with our modern age. [I doubt Wilde would ever say that.--referring to the last phrase]

A: They represent the greatest heights of what the human intellect and spirit have achieved. We can only benefit from drawing on their wisdom.

W: Are you not impressed, then, by any of our modern authors?

A: Some, perhaps, but authors today seem not nearly concerned enough about the impact of their work on the masses. Many are after only easy money and giving the masses just the sort of drivel they want.

W: Tut, tut. There you go again about the impact of their work on the masses. And nothing could be further from the truth than the notion that any author's art has anything to do with them.

A: But certainly you are agreed that the state of the masses is problematic. What with everyone so preoccupied with their own interests and giving no thought to the common good. Unrest is on the rise and if we are not careful it will lead to civil war.

W: Well, I don't know anything about that. What you are describing is the concern of politicians and social reformers. I am an artist.

A: And you think that that fact removes you from any responsibility to work in the interests of your fellow man.

W: I think that it means I am concerned with art.

A: And what, pray tell, do you take to be the concern of art?

W: I don't understand the question.

A: What is the end of art? Certainly if it does not contribute to the good of mankind then it is worth nothing.

W: On the contrary, if I were only concerned with pleasing the mass of humanity, that would make my art worthless.

A: Then do you write for no one?

W: I write for myself.

A: And what do you get out of it.

W: The enjoyment of something beautiful.

A: And the people get nothing?

W: I suppose some may get something. That's really not my concern. I doubt if anyone ever got anything from a work of art that was not already in them.

A: But what hope, then, is there for change?

W: I'm not worried about that. Society will change.

A: And you?

W: I am already perfect. [A bit over the top, even for Wilde.]

A: A perfect man without any thought or concern for his fellow man? --it's not possible. I suppose all of England could go to the dogs and you would sit here and write about it.

W: I am an artist.

A: You are unbalanced. You mistake the artistic and aesthetic for the whole of the good life. You must learn to cultivate your whole character.

W: If it means becoming anything like you, I think I'll pass. I'm quite content with my 'bad' life.

A: I think that you don't know what you are saying.

W: Believe me when I say, "I do." You criticize me, as an artist, for failing to have the concerns of a politician. If I am unbalanced in one direction, it seems to me that you are unbalanced in the other.

A: I am prepared to acknowledge that in every age a society has certain tendencies that draw it away from a virtuous mean. As an antidote to that, I pull in the opposite direction.

W: Commendable.

A: And that is why I must exhort you to leave your self-centeredness and see the world as it is, in desperate need of reform. If you do, then you cannot help but see how your work touches the people and either contributes or detracts from their well-being.

W: If you address me as a politician, I do not understand what you say. If you address me as an artist, I applaud you on the character of your impassioned plea. It is well-delivered.

A: And do my words not touch your moral conscience.

W: They touch my heart beautifully. Much as your words about "sweetness and light."

A: And what will you do with them?

W: I will do what I do with all such words: create art.

A: And what of the uncultivated working man or the fanatical middle class man or the empty-headed aristocrat? "Sweetness and light" is their calling, they must move toward it.

W: If they are uncultivated, fanatical, or empty-headed, they probably will never appreciate your words. I suggest you be content with your audience.

A: I am not concerned with the numbers of my audience.

W: Then we do have something in common.

A: I'm concerned about the people's well-being.

W: And so we begin again.

--

Soon to come, a blog posting on the superior way of rationality.

Blessings all,

--

God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.

Graduate 52: Duplicity, Deceitfulness, and Darkness

Thinking deeply about Pirates of the Caribbean has led me in some interesting directions. Specifically, in this entry, I would like to look at the third contemporary-pirate characteristic that I discussed in my last blog entry--the use of deception and manipulation to get ahead.

I suggested that in our current culture, few people are genuinely honest about who they really are. Instead, each hides behind one of various masks. There is not necessarily any sinister intent behind this habit; one may simply wish to fit in with the popular crowd or be accepted. But the result is that people become trapped behind their masks. After enough time has passed, they become no longer free to be who they really are in certain contexts.

Masks may be used in business to ingratiate oneself to the bosses; they may be used in the academic world in order to win the approval of esteemed colleagues. Celebrities take great care to shape their public faces as do politicians. Facades are a huge part of youth culture, where fitting in is everything. And even in our churches and religious communities, expectations can drive people to hide who they really are behind a thin, spotless veneer.

Usually we begin using masks as a way of controlling our circumstances and other people. We may want to be a part of the popular crowd, so we don a certain demeanor, dress, way of speaking, etc. in order to make them like us. But it doesn't take long before that "mask" takes on a life of its own and we lose control of it. If we ever dropped the mask, then they would see what we really are like. Then they might not like us; they might reject us, and then we would be all alone.

--

Dallas Willard describes this process in his book, Renovation of the Heart, in a chapter about transforming the will and character. In a section entitled, "Duplicity, Deceitfulness, and Darkness," (pp. 147-148) he writes, "In a condition of alienation from God, the complexity of the human will moves irresistibly toward duplicity, not just in the harmless sense of "doubleness," but in the sense of deception. This is the result of pretending to feel and think one way while acting in another. Often the deception involved is self-deception. Our pride will constantly trap us between desire and fear. Rather than surrender our desire, we will do what we want but conceal it because of fear of the consequences of being known. And perhaps then we will also try to conceal our fear of our pride. We will try to pretend that there is "nothing going on" at all. / Accordingly, the natural and proper complexity of the will leads those thus living as their own god in their world into ever-deeper layers of deception, and then into darkness, where they cannot even understand themselves and why they do what they do."

"The existentialist portrayal of sincerity as always bogus is in fact a correct picture of the will apart from God, and its emphasis upon the natural complexity of the human will is correct and helpful. That natural complexity is good and God-given. It is an essential part of human greatness. But the deceitfulness and darkness of the heart apart from God is inevitable to those who trust only themselves and so must try to take charge of their life and their world."

"Sad to say, we live in a world where others, including our loved ones as well as the institutions of society and government (and those running them) are with distressing regularity engaged in duplicity, deceitfulness, and darkness. It is a rare individual who does not have people around him or her who cannot be trusted to do what is right when something they desire or fear is involved. How often we have to deal with someone whom we know at the moment to be simply working out how he or she is going to mislead us. Perhaps very few of us could honestly say we are untouched in some way by our own duplicity. Few of us could honestly say that we do not sometimes have to struggle to overcome deceit and darkness, within ourselves as well as around us." (All emphases in the original)

--

An excellent example of this divided view of human nature can be found in a poem, "We are Many," by Pablo Neruda. I was first introduced to this poem in my AP English Literature class (senior year, high school). Interestingly, when I first read it, I was deeply disturbed by its message, but by the end of that year I thought it made a lot of sense. One is left to wonder whether my "greater appreciation" of the poem actually corresponded to "greater personal maturity" or not. Here is the text of "We are Many":

Of the many men whom I am, whom we are,
I cannot settle on a single one.
They are lost to me under the cover of clothing
They have departed for another city.

When everything seems to be set
to show me off as a man of intelligence,
the fool I keep concealed on my person
takes over my talk and occupies my mouth.

On other occasions, I am dozing in the midst
of people of some distinction,
and when I summon my courageous self,
a coward completely unknown to me
swaddles my poor skeleton
in a thousand tiny reservations.

When a stately home bursts into flames,
instead of the fireman I summon,
an arsonist bursts on the scene,
and he is I. There is nothing I can do.
What must I do to distinguish myself?
How can I put myself together?

All the books I read
lionize dazzling hero figures,
brimming with self-assurance.
I die with envy of them;
and, in films where bullets fly on the wind,
I am left in envy of the cowboys,
left admiring even the horses.

But when I call upon my DASHING BEING,
out comes the same OLD LAZY SELF,
and so I never know just WHO I AM,
nor how many I am, nor WHO WE WILL BE BEING.
I would like to be able to touch a bell
and call up my real self, the truly me,
because if I really need my proper self,
I must not allow myself to disappear.

While I am writing, I am far away;
and when I come back, I have already left.
I should like to see if the same thing happens
to other people as it does to me,
to see if as many people are as I am,
and if they seem the same way to themselves.
When this problem has been thoroughly explored,
I am going to school myself so well in things
that, when I try to explain my problems,
I shall speak, not of self, but of geography.

--

Who is the speaker in this poem? The "man of intelligence" or the "fool"? The "courageous self" or the "coward"? The "fireman" or the "arsonist"? Is he none of them? Is he all of them?

Before answering that question, consider a different treatment of this aspect of the human condition, drawn from the first chapter of the book of Proverbs. I've mentioned Proverbs in a couple recent blog entries. In this passage, Wisdom is personified as a woman and speaks to the masses. It's interesting, again, to note changing views of the text. A friend of mine read this two years ago during Men's Chorale tour and was turned off by Wisdom's apparently harsh and cavalier attitude. Now I see the passage differently and will explain that hereafter.

Wisdom shouts in the street,
She lifts her voice in the square;
At the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings:
"How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded?
And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing
And fools hate knowledge?
Turn to my reproof,
Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
Because I called and you refused,
I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention;
And you neglected all my counsel
And did not want my reproof;
I will also laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your dread comes,
When your dread comes like a storm
And your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently but they will not find me,
Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the LORD.
The would not accept my counsel,
They spurned all my reproof.
So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way
And be satiated with their own devices.
For the waywardness of the naive will kill them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them.
But he who listens to me shall live securely
And will be at ease from the dread of evil." (vv.20-33)

In order to get past the apparent harshness, consider that the pattern Solomon describes and applies to Wisdom can also be applied to many other areas of life. The musician who neglects to hone his skill over days and weeks and months will find that they desert him on the night of the performance. The student who fails to study her lessons will not be able to recall them on test day. The athlete who does not rigorously train his body will find it an unwieldy and cumbersome tool on game day.

From this analysis we can draw the following conclusion: the hard truth for the speaker in Neruda's poem is that he just is that fool, that coward, that arsonist. Character is revealed in times of trial and testing, and when the trials become really significant and the tests truly challenging, then is it impossible to fake our way through. Unfortunately, many refuse to face who they really are and, like the poem's speaker, they just continue to wish that they could "touch a bell / and call up my real self." (Emphasis added) And they continue to hide behind their masks in confusion and angst.

--

As Dallas Willard mentioned, many try to cope with the confusion and angst by delving into still deeper levels of deception and self-deception. But there is no hope in that way. The only way out of the confusion is to turn away from duplicity toward sincerity and from deceit to integrity and from darkness to light. This means being honest with ourselves about who we are. And if we cannot be honest about ourselves than we should find other people who will be honest with us.

Does that sound like a painful process? The truth is that it doesn't have to be, because each person is created in the image of God, endowed with gifts and talents, made for a purpose, precious in God's sight. We usually intend for masks to hide our 'bad,' but they usually have the unintended effect of hiding all of these 'goods.' The blow may come in that these qualities are not highly prized in the world. But if we will take them seriously and choose to receive all that God has for us, there's nothing greater to be had.

But as we strive toward the light, we must be mindful of all those influences that would drive us back into the darkness. After writing about Pirates of the Caribbean, I began to think about all the places that I encounter duplicity and deceit. One place was in my reading. Surprised? I really enjoy Victorian Literature. I enjoy the complex stories and narration styles and dialogue. But I realized that many of the stories focus on just the kind of duplicity and deceit that I have been describing.

Recently I read two novels by Anthony Trollope: Barchester Towers and Phineas Finn. The first is about church politics. The second is about politics and Parliament. And that, just about, says it all. It is fascinating to follow the unfolding intrigues. Different parties and individuals are vying for power, position, titles, and money. The rules of engagement are subtle. A turn of phrase or a brief glance can make all the difference in the world. A man's entire career can hang on whether he applies just the right amount of pressure to the proffered hand of a particular duchess, whose husband has such and such influence and connections, when being introduced to her at a certain dinner party with only select individuals in attendance on a particular night of the week. It's remarkably engaging reading (at least for me). Frank Herbert's Dune series is interesting to me for the same reasons. How great would it be if only one could become adept at this fine art of social control. ...or would it be?

Just reading the books is exhausting. How much more exhausting would it be to have to micromanage every aspect of one's life. Sure, it looks easy on television; and everybody's problems get resolved in a convenient fifty minutes. But that's not real life. And I wonder if it may very well be the case that, for the majority of average Americans, most of their information about how to relate to people in relationships comes, not from real-life interaction with living, breathing people, but from the fictional lives of so many television and movie characters.*

Am I going to stop reading Victorian novels? Probably not, but the lesson here is that we need to be mindful of what we watch and listen to--hopefully this is not news to anybody--because we are affected and shaped by all of it.

--

One final suggestion: read George MacDonald's At the Back of the North Wind.

Many in the academic world and society, as Dallas Willard says of the existentialists, do think that "sincerity" is always bogus. In fact, I used to think it was, too, and doubted that I could ever come to a place where my heart and will were truly unified in one purpose and vision. I will write, another time, about how I have come to embrace "sincerity" as a genuinely attainable ideal. But I mention MacDonald's book because I have found in it a beautifully- and artfully-rendered portrayal of genuine sincerity. It is a children's book, simple and accessible, but it took my breath away when I read it. Take it seriously and the vision that it sets before you; may it be an encouragement to you.

--

God bless,

--

*Dallas Willard. "Nietzsche v. Jesus." Part 2. Lecture: Veritas Forum, Stanford University. 04 March 2002. Listen starting at 24 minutes. http://www.veritas.org/3.0_media/talks/456

--

God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.

Graduate 51: Father's Day

"The tree's firmness does not consist in the height and reach of its branches but in the depth and strength of its roots."

--

My dad is still one of the smartest men that I know, and I don't see that changing any time in the near future. The (apparently) common assumption that at some point we "outgrow" our parents' advice and counsel seems to be largely misguided in my mind. More often than not, we find ourselves inadvertently confirming and verifying what they say, which is a rather humbling experience; don't you think?

I have spent almost four years studying philosophy and theology and history at the university level. I am (fairly) deeply acquainted with many particular and current philosophers and philosophical theories. I have read and analyzed and puzzled over and been confused by so much material. I hope to make a career of the pursuit of philosophical inquiry. And even though my dad has not had the benefit of the same training and experience that I have received, somehow, he is still able to poke holes in the arguments and critique the theories that I sometimes share with him.

Now, in marveling as I do, I do not mean to imply that I normally perceive my dad as unintelligent, because nothing could be further from the truth. In fact he graduated from seminary with a Master of Divinity degree and continues to read and stay informed on a variety of subjects. These factors, without a doubt, contribute to his perspicacity, but I am wanting to focus on something different.

In a way, I was misleading in the first full paragraph. Instead of, "one of the smartest men that I know," what if I say, "My dad is still one of the wisest men that I know." The two are distinct and significantly so, as in the way that a tree's branches are different from its roots.

When we compare knowledge or intelligence, we do so as we might compare the height of two trees. Whoever can retain a larger quantity of information or is faster at picking up and processing new concepts is deemed smarter, just as a forty-foot tree is judged to be taller than a thirty-foot tree. But wisdom is an altogether different sort of thing. Wisdom does not reach upward to grasp more and more. Instead it digs deep and takes hold of the solid ground in order to form a firm foundation. It draws nourishment from the earth and water from the deep springs.

A tree with shallow roots may reach higher and higher, but without strong roots, it will topple in the wind or wither in the harsh sunlight. (Matthew 13, esp. vv. 5, 20-21) With deep, abiding roots, the tree does not fear wind or heat or cold or floods.

John Mark Reynolds of Biola University has described the main problem of American culture as one of rootlessness. As a society we lack a firm foundation from which to build and grow. We reach ever higher and higher, in science and technology and media, for instance. But we lack solid grounding so that the branches, which ought to provide cool shade and sweet fruit, turn deadly as the tree (inevitably) topples.

In examining various philosophies and religions, we find many individuals and groups of people reaching--reaching upward and upward even as the builders of Babel so long ago. And how is it that a man who has not delved into the intricacies and subtleties of their thoughts can find the weaknesses and point out the imperfections in their efforts? How is it that he is not persuaded or confused as so many are? Because he is smarter? Because he is cleverer or more intelligent than them? No, but because he is firmly rooted in the Truth.

--

Two key Scripture passages come to mind on this point, upon which I have been reflecting over much of the past year:

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD
And whose trust is the LORD.
For he will be like a tree planted by the water,
That extends its roots by a stream
And will not fear when the heat comes;
But its leaves will be green,
And it will not be anxious in a year of drought
Nor cease to yield fruit." (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

"How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers." (Psalm 1:1-3)

--

The Greek philosopher, Aristotle, dedicated his first book of ethics to his son, Nichomachus. Much of the book of Proverbs, largely written by King Solomon, is addressed to his son(s). And one of the greatest gifts that a father can give to his children is a solid foundation in Truth and training in Wisdom. Great intelligence or cleverness are not required for this; just begin by studying the book of Proverbs.

Thank you, Dad, for guiding me into Wisdom and Truth. Thank you for being there to keep me on track whenever I start to stray from the straight and narrow way. You have provided so much for me and I know that I can count on you if I am ever in need. I pray that I will always remember and cherish the lessons that you have taught me.

--

"Happy Father's Day!" to all the dads out there, who have worked so hard to raise their children. May God richly bless you and yours, today and hereafter.

--

God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.

Graduate 50: A Pirate's Life for Me...?

The following material is adapted from a talk that I gave at the Columbia High School Baccalaureate (White Salmon, WA) last week. If you have not seen the Pirates of the Caribbean films, BE AWARE: there are plot spoilers in the following material. The original concept for this talk (suggested by my dad) comes from John Mark Reynold's short address: "It's hard to be a hero. It's easy to be a pirate."

Some material has been added that was not included in the delivered address. This may result in an added sense of "meandering". The basketball illustration (which was part of the delivered address) is the same as the "basketball-metaphor of Christian discipleship" that I mention in Senior 30: Wisdom. I tend to rant a bit more about the Pirate films than I did in my address. This is almost two entries blended into one. (The original working title was Graduate 50: Pirates, a Film for Our Age.)

-----

"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me." So goes the refrain of that pirate ditty familiar to so many from the Disneyland ride and the recently completed "Pirates of the Caribbean" film trilogy. But is it really--is the pirate's life for me? Is it for you?

The question might sound odd; the song is not meant to describe viewers of the movies or tourists on the ride. And yet if you consider the shape of our society and the character of its people, you might well come to the conclusion that many, many people, after all, are trying to live the pirate's life.

What is this "pirate's life" to which I refer? It is a life dominated by the following three characteristics: it is (1) motivated by self-interest, (2) guided by feelings, and (3) employs deception and manipulation to reach its ends.

--

In the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films, these qualities are variously instantiated and creatively multiplied ad nauseum. Protagonists and antagonists alike seek their own ends and aims. Captain Jack Sparrow first wants his ship, then he wants revenge, then he wants immortality, but amidst it all he most fundamentally wants the freedom to do whatever he pleases without regard to anyone or anything except himself. He is the star of the three films. Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner apparently become enchanted with this way of life as they choose to ally themselves with the pirates. Commodore Norrington who exemplifies fidelity to the rule of law and order in the first film becomes mad with desire to reclaim his title and rank, sacrificing all to this singular passion in the second. Even where the common good or family-loyalty seem to drive them, the characters repeatedly act without regard to the consequences of their actions on the lives of others. Self-interest, all around.

In their choices, they are guided by their feelings. Each character does what he or she feels like doing. Of course, Captain Jack always acts on a whim without apparent rhyme or reason. The commentary on the first film DVD acknowledges that Jack's success is due principally to luck. In fact, you can never imagine Jack or most of the characters doing anything that they didn't want to do, just because it was "the right thing to do." In a telling scene where Elizabeth anticipates a coming critical moment, she tries to convince Jack to do the right thing. "You'll have a chance to do something courageous," she says, "And when you do you'll discover something: that you're a good man." And how does she know that he will act courageously at that critical moment? "Curiosity. You're going to want it, the chance to be admired and gain the rewards that follow. You won't be able to resist. You're going to want to know what it tastes like." Essentially, she appeals to his passions.

The combination of self-interest and unprincipled decision-making leads to the third attribute of a pirate's life--manipulation and deception. Especially in the third film, deception and betrayal and intrigue and subterfuge are the plot. Friends turn against friends and everybody is trying to outwit everybody else. Elizabeth betrays Jack to the kraken. Will betrays Barbossa to Beckett. Jack betrays Will to Cutler. Cutler betrays Jack and Will. Barbossa betrays Jack. It makes for fantastic edge-of-your-seat drama. Have our heroes finally been beaten or do they have a back-up-plan? Did they anticipate their opponent's treachery? At one point, Will asks Elizabeth, "If you make your choices alone... how can I trust you?" To which she simply (and accurately) replies, "You can't." The spirit of the film is captured in an oft-repeated statement of Lord Cutler Beckett (principle antagonist): "It's just good business."

--

We could multiply instances of these attributes in the various "Pirates" films, but what is really interesting, I think, is that we can also find examples in our own lives and society.

--

How often do we act in the interest and for the sake of our families, friends, employers, co-workers, community? Or do we usually act out of self-interest with a mind to what will most benefit us? What governs our choices about career, living situation, whether or not to get married, place of education? How much attention do we give to the welfare of others?

Given the choice between what we want and what is right, which will we choose? How dedicated are we to meeting familial, cultural, societal, and political obligations--even when they are not convenient? Do we follow through on commitments even when they become boring, uninteresting, challenging, or unexpectedly difficult? To what degree are we guided by what feels good as opposed to what is truly good? Are we, as a society, even capable of distinguishing between the two?

What lengths are we willing to go in order to "make people like us"? How important is it to be popular, accepted, and esteemed? At our jobs, do we truly put forth our best effort or just enough to appear hard working to our supervisor? Do we really care about other people or are we mostly interested in what they can do for us? Are we genuinely open and honest with people about who we are or do we hide behind masks so that they will think we are something that we really are not?

Our society is extremely self-interested, enslaved to its emotions and passions, and bound up in vast webs of manipulation and deceit. "Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me."

--

If the idea of a society of would-be-pirates seems absurd (or silly) to you, what is still more absurd is the fact that those would-be-pirates fully expect to find happiness in this way.

After all, that's what happens in the movie.

--

Lord Cutler Beckett is defeated. Jack is free to live life as he chooses. Will and Elizabeth are married and promise their unfailing fidelity to one another. If you live like a pirate, everything will work out fine in the end, right?

(It should go without saying:) WRONG! Lord Beckett is defeated, yes, but that victory of "good" over "evil" is void of meaning. He did not lose because he was evil or wrong or a bad person (since all the characters are bad people). He just wasn't clever enough. He couldn't outwit Jack; that's all. Jack Sparrow is free, yes. But he is not secure in that victory. In fact, his ship is hijacked from him immediately thereafter, and he has to go chasing after it.

And as for Will and Elizabeth's marriage--that's the greatest absurdity of all. Remember that scene when Will asks, "If you make your choices alone... how can I trust you?" to which Elizabeth replies, "You can't." How do we get from there to mutual pledges of enduring faithfulness? Add to that the fact that Will can only see Elizabeth for one day every ten years (which makes for a grand total of about seven times before she dies and is lost to him forever. To understand why that is the case, you'll have to see the movie). Of course, it makes perfect sense that they are married in the middle of the final battle sequence when their adrenaline is peaking and they have no time to actually think about what they are doing. If they ever actually sat down and thought about their decision, they would realize immediately that the entire history of their interactions tells against the wisdom of their getting married. But somehow, they do become married and Elizabeth is faithful and chaste for the entire first ten years of her husbands absence. Isn't it romantic?

--

But what does experience (and common sense) tell us about a life of self-interest, guided by feelings, and grounded in manipulation and deceit.

Our society is among the most unfulfilled and broken in the world and in human history. We try harder and harder to capture happiness, yet it slips more and more quickly through our fingers. We use masks to show people only what we want them to see; but those masks become prisons from which we cannot escape, lest we lose our reputation. Our lives are filled with more and more stuff, but all of it cannot fill the emptiness in our hearts. We invest in entertainment and are left depressed. We are wealthy materially and impoverished spiritually. We accept immediate gratification and miss out on the truly great and good things of life.

Here's a contrasting illustration that has nothing to do with pirates:

--

During my junior year I decided to take a basketball class in order to fulfill my PE general education requirement. Most people like me, who spend their time in stuffy libraries and rarely see the light of day and don't get much in the way of serious physical activity, opt for a no-stress Walk-Jog course. But I remember enjoying basketball at one time and thought this would be a good opportunity to develop my skills and abilities.

I quickly discovered that it had been much longer than I thought since I last handled a basketball. Any skill that I had at one time was completely gone and I was probably the worst player on the court. The result was that, for the first ten weeks of the fifteen-week semester, I HATED that class. I hated the drills that I could barely do; I hated the other students who were better than me and probably laughing at me behind my back; I hated myself for being so incompetent. The class met on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:45 to 11:40 AM, and Wednesday at 11:40 AM was my absolute favorite time of the week because it meant that I didn't have to see, touch, or even think about basketball for five whole days. It's important that I never forget how I did feel about that class at the time, because of what happened next.

Somewhere around the tenth week of the course, we were playing games five-on-five, and someway, somehow I managed to intercept the ball on the opposing team's side of the court. So I instinctively began dribbling as fast as I could toward the opposite basket. After what seemed like a long time, I suddenly became aware of the fact that I was the only guy on my side of the court; everyone else was still on the other side of the half-court line. What was I going to do? My mind began to race. I could check my pace and wait for someone from my team who could shoot well and score the point. But my passing wasn't great either and it would be terrible to lose the ball after having such a perfectly open shot. I could maneuver to the top of the key and make a free-point shot, but I really couldn't rationally justify that decision either. The road was clear for me to make a lay-up. But lay-ups had been such a challenge for me. (Remember: zero skills retained). But that was my only option. I would have to try. So I ran in from the right side, right-left-right, lifted with my outside hand and wonder-of-wonders, the ball went into the basket. Two points!

Interestingly, the remaining weeks of that class were a lot of fun. I was unofficially elected "Most Improved Player" in my class, which was a very encouraging gesture. But take a moment to consider what I've just described. That lay-up did not just happen. It was the result of ten weeks of grueling work. Even though I hated it, I did the work and it bore fruit in the end.

Now consider, would Captain Jack Sparrow have ever made it to that tenth week? (Pirates are no good at basketball, right?) No. He would have ditched that class after the first day, procured a bottle of rum, and mused over his own greatness until he passed out deluded and content.

And consider what I could have done instead of persevering through that course. A simple button-combination will guarantee a perfect lay-up on any video-game platform every time. And with only a slightly more complicated button-combination, I can perform remarkable feats that are physically impossible for the real-life athlete. But then I would miss out on the real-life lay-up.

What if I had been committed to appearing to people as the best in everything I do? Would I have placed myself in a situation where my lack of skill was made so manifest?

What if I refused to do anything that failed to make me feel "good about myself"? Would I have accepted that opportunity to learn and grow?

--

Now I believe that basketball is one of life's great goods. So is music. So is art. So is helping the poor, getting involved in your community, participating in the political process, helping out your church, and volunteering for student government. Building model airplanes, learning to drive a car, reading a good book, cooking a good meal, and writing a blog entry. These are all great goods--but not one of them can be achieved without effort, perseverance, commitment. In the small world of the self-interested life, guided by feelings, and grounded in manipulation and deception, there is no room for these good things.

Clearly something is wrong with this approach. Something is wrong with this "pirate's life."

--

Interlude: I share this with you (high school graduates) because you are transitioning into adulthood. Up to this point, you have been guided in your life by others. Your parents have tried to teach you the difference between right and wrong, how to make good decisions, and how to live well and successfully. But now the reins are being passed to you. You will decide where to go to school, what job to take, who your friends will be, what you will watch and listen to, hopefully keeping in mind how those will all affect you.

If you do not carefully and intentionally look to one direction, you will invariably get swept into the pattern of our society and culture, which, I have suggested, tends in a bad way. What direction will you choose?

--

We need to try a different approach.

In the first "Pirates" film, Captain Barbossa accurately identifies the nature of the curse that has taken hold of his crew. Of the Aztec gold pieces, he says, "the more we gave them away, the more we came to realize, the drink would not satisfy, the food turned to ash in our mouths, and all the pleasurable company in the world could not slake our lust. We are cursed men, Miss Turner. Compelled by greed we were; but now we are consumed by it." But did they turn from the way of greed? No, instead they pursued it all-the-more resolutely.

Here's a genuinely different approach. (1) Instead of being self-interested, act in the interest of others. (2) Instead of being guided by feelings and passions, look to reason and truth. (3) And instead of relying on deception and manipulation to get ahead, conduct yourself with genuine integrity.

--

In Ancient Israel, there was a king named Solomon, reputed to be the wisest man who ever lived. Much of his wisdom is collected in the book of Proverbs. I recently began to revisit this book and have found a wealth of wise counsel and advice. Consider a few verses from chapter eleven:

"When pride comes, then comes dishonor,
_But with the humble is wisdom.
The integrity of the upright will guide them,
_But the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them.
Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
_But righteousness delivers from death.
The righteousness of the blameless will smooth his way,
_But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.
The righteousness of the upright will deliver them,
_But the treacherous will be caught by their own greed." (vv.2-6)

"There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more,
_And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want.
The generous man will be prosperous,
_And he who waters will himself be watered.
He who withholds grain, the people will curse him,
_But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it." (vv.24-26)

King Solomon's picture of the successful life is completely contrary to that of Captain Jack Sparrow. Humility, integrity, righteousness, generosity--they are the very antitheses of pirate values.

--

But can one really live this way? Solomon might seem unduly optimistic and idealistic.

The answer to this question begins to delve into the still more profound depths of Solomon's wisdom.

Several times throughout his Proverbs, Solomon references "the fear of the Lord." Now usually we think of the fear of the Lord as the fear of judgment and wrath leading to cowed obedience. But consider what Solomon says of it.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." (9:10)
"The fear of the Lord prolongs life." (10:27)
"In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and his children will have refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death." (14:26-27)
"The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom, and before honor comes humility." (15:33)
"By the fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil. (16:6)
"The fear of the Lord leads to life, so that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil." (19:23)
"The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, honor, and life." (22:4)
"Do not let your heart envy sinners, but live in the fear of the Lord always." (23:17)

Solomon understood an important truth that we often miss: that the fear of God reaches fullness and maturity in the love and trust of God. Consider these concluding words of Solomon: "The fear of man brings a snare, / But he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted. / Many seek the ruler's favor, / But justice for man comes from the Lord." (30:25-26)

--

Captain Jack Sparrow has to act for his own interests just because he can rely on no one else to take care of them. If he doesn't take hold of happiness, no one else will get it for him. If he doesn't protect his freedom, no one else will. Jack Sparrow is alone in the world (as are each of the other characters in that film) and must protect himself. It's essentially him against everybody else in the quest to get what he wants.

This is how many in our society see the world. We are alone, so we think. We must look after our own. Everyone else is either indifferent or actively trying to steal away our happiness; and if we do not protect our interests, no one will.

But Solomon saw the world differently. He saw a world in which God was present and active--God, who is all-powerful, good and loving, creator and sustainer of the world and all its inhabitants. Solomon trusted in God to secure his good, to protect him from evil, to honor his good deeds, to provide for his needs. That was and is the way of peace.

Consider what Jesus says in his Sermon on the Mount. After warning his disciples against pursuing praise from men, he says, "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?... And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!" (Matthew 6:25-30)

A life free of worry. A life secure in the hands of Almighty God. That's the life for me.

--

You have a choice. Society is following the way of Jack Sparrow, pursuing a life of self-interest, guided by feelings and grounded in manipulation and deception. The way of Solomon and Jesus is that of pursuing the good of others, guided by reason and truth, and grounded in integrity. Jack Sparrow must create and guard his own happiness. Solomon receives all that he needs from God, who loves him. Which life will you choose?

-----

A few additional comments. (1) I actually opened my speech by putting on a pirate costume hat and inviting the audience to join me in singing the refrain: "Yo ho, yo ho, the pirate's life for me." (2) There was a very audible sigh of relief from the audience when I said that I actually did make the basket. I take that as a good sign of my story-telling ability. (3) I was still concerned about my topic in the week leading up to the baccalaureate but was much encouraged to hear that there might be a high-schooler attending who loved pirates and philosophy. To my knowledge, that individual did not, in fact, attend, but I'm still willing to accept that incident as a much-needed affirming word from God.

--

God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.