One of my favorite Psalms—was the ancient Psalmist the Chris Martin of their day?—is Psalm 39. It's not the most cheerful of ditties and begins with a lament about speaking rashly. Wise advice, for words cut and hurt. For me a daily reminder is needed. Then the Psalmist goes on to say:
O God, let me know the number of my days
So that I may know how short my life is.
You have given me a mere handful of days, and my life is as nothing in your sight,
Truly, even those who stand erect are but a puff of wind.
We walk like a shadow and in vain we are in turmoil;
We heap up riches and cannot tell who will gather them.
So, not the most uplifting but, like the pandemic, somewhat leveling. Life is so short, even the longest lived, a handful of days, a puff of wind. And all the stuff we accrue, well, we can't take it with us. For me, Psalm 39 is useful as a reminder to rethink priorities, just like the pandemic has been.
Some philosophers speak of a "relational ontology"—everything that exists exists in relationship to something else. Everything is constituted relationally. I find it to be a useful perspective. Simplistically, a university professor is constituted—exists—only in relationship to the university, the community of scholars, students and all the traditions of the academy. Without all of those relationships the university professor does not exist. In other words, all of us only exist in relationship to the Other. It seems that Chris Martin during the pandemic began to realize that he "existed" in relationship to large adoring crowds. Take the crowds away, go into lockdown for a year, and what remains? Mr. Martin has had to rethink his priorities. But it's not just superstars. The pandemic created a crisis for us all, for many of our relationships have been disrupted. Some have weathered the storm better than others. The "people persons" among have suffered terribly, the introverts less so. But even introverts exist in relation to the Other—people, animals, nature and the divine. The pandemic has given all of us pause to reassess which relationships are important to us, and which we can do without.
Much of that which I considered essential in 2019 seems less so in 2021. Equally, given that my life is, as the Psalmist reminds me, a mere "puff of wind," that which I know to be most important—relationships characterized by loving kindness, well-being, respect, inclusivity—now have greater clarity.
Today is Mother's Day in the USA. My mum passed away three years ago. Those years have flown by. Many folk today will be with their moms for the first time in a year. If you celebrate today, cherish the time together.
Be well all,
+Ab. Andy
Chris Martin image Wallpapercave.com