"Everything is figureoutable." I almost crashed my car when I read this message on a sign outside of a local middle school last week. In this time of crisis, we are clamoring for a solution to the problem of a pandemic that has reshaped our daily lives. We find ourselves in an uncomfortable place. We are unable to stop the spread of an invisible enemy despite our technological advancements and modern scientific methods. These issues lead us to consider a compelling question: can we overcome all of our problems by relying on human action?
As husbands and fathers, we are hard-wired for action. There is no pickle jar that we can't open, no project that we won't tackle, and no challenge that can't be mastered by hard work and ingenuity. Perhaps no man embodied this vibrant spirit of masculinity as well as Theodore Roosevelt. Action, grit, and poise were a few of the characteristics that set Theodore Roosevelt apart from other men. He led men into battle during the Spanish-American War, mediated an end to the Russo-Japanese War, wrote thousands of literary works, and was known for his good humor and charm.
I often think of men like Theodore Roosevelt in times of crisis. I yearn to rise up and embrace challenges as he did; to wrestle with difficulty in the crucible of suffering and emerge triumphant from the fray. I find myself thinking that what we need in our world are more men who will rush headlong with confidence into the seemingly unwinnable battles. The world's problems can be overcome by the virtue of action.
What happens if by acting, by going out into the fray, we actually fall prey to the very enemy that we seek to subdue? Perhaps the most difficult part of this current pandemic is the fact that action is so often associated with death and ruin. Yet, as we distance ourselves from each other and remain in our homes, we watch as our economy crumbles. We seem to have two choices: go out into the world and risk death by infection or stay home and risk death by starvation. This juxtaposition leaves us confused and searching not only for a solution but for a reason why.
The meaning of this crisis is hotly debated. Some claim that the virus is mother nature taking out her anger against mankind in response to his abuse of her resources. Others are quick to point out that this is God's chastisement for the Church's public worship of the Pachamama idols during the Amazonian Synod. God has chastised His people before. He has visited wrath upon both His chosen people and their enemies alike.
Our modern sensibilities struggle to understand a supreme being who is all-loving and yet permits evil to happen. We are faced with a stark contrast: an all-loving God who both allows acts of destruction and even directly causes these horrible tragedies. The problem of evil is complex, one that can't be fully explained within these few paragraphs. One explanation of this problem is that God allows and sometimes causes destruction in the world in order to bring about a greater good.
We pride ourselves on self-sufficiency. We have gone so far as to establish ourselves as the ultimate judge of right and wrong. What's moral is what makes us feel good. Forget what some thousand-year old book has to say. The bible wasn't written in 2020. The authors failed to grasp the complexity of life in the modern world. Thoughts such as these are evidence that the sin of pride, the gravest of all sins, is rampant in our world today.
Is there a limit to the “progress” of our modern age? Surely our accomplishments will sustain us for our lives and for generations to come. Our actions can create positive change in the world. Much like Theodore Roosevelt, we can harness the virtue of action to create peace and order in the world. Yet, what we’re typically left with are mere externals, whitewashed tombs. Despite all of his accomplishments, Theodore Roosevelt struggled to find peace and fulfillment at the end of his life. Out of power and removed from the spotlight, Roosevelt encountered himself as an aging old man. His great feats were not enough to bring him peace and joy in his last days. The glint of his magnanimous personality began to tarnish with the patina of old age and irrelevance.
Our actions cannot bear the fruits of lasting joy and peace unless they are directed toward our ultimate end, union with God. It is through God, with God, and in God that we can expect to find fulfillment during our life and immeasurable bliss in the life to come. All paths that lead away from God lead to death. Yet, as an Easter people, we hope for new life. Suffering, agony, and toil will continue to assault us in this fallen world. Whether we find ourselves exhausted by human action or distressed by idleness, our Blessed Lord’s promise remains: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”(1).
References
(1) Matthew 11:28
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