Revitalization: a constant construction of an end as a conscious or unconscious realization of the lack of a final one.
It's seen everywhere: sports, church, school, video games, running, education, and in every goal we create. In every event, we *create* the end (or the final event). But the fact is, they all come to pass.
Sports:
The championship happens again the next year (or in four years for the olympics). But what does this final goal (of a championship, or perhaps a lesser goal of a .500 record) require of us? Concentration and commitment. Conscious time, effort, and devotion, It's something that gives us a reason to keep struggling through life.
Video Games:
Now, with the advent of the avatar and Gamer-Ranks, all those meaningless single-session games (whether football or halo) are now valuable. Creating these final ends, we are making our little tasks that we go through day-to-day worth something. And as a result, we have addiction. People are addicted because they have to play more and more games to *improve* their character on WoW, their EASports tag in Madden and their team slayer rank on halo. But there is no end, just the opportunity at improving your character.
Church/Religion (this one might be touchy):
I was always confused as to why we had to keep having retreats and conferences and special events at church (why can't the love of an all-powerful god sustain us without having to fully submerse ourself in and with fellow believers to boost our *faith*-bank). The answer back then was that the devil (or society) had been dragging you down, slowly draining you. I agree that we slowly become worn out from living, but I no longer believe there is a devil on the other end. I also disagree with having to go on a retreat to get revitalized. So in this sense, these conventions are a way to drill in to your head that there is some final end, and that, as a result, all this living is going to be worth something in the end.
Running/exercise:
This became my baseball and my religion. What do you do? You sign up for a race 4 months down the road and suddenly you have a purpose for those 4 months. But then the race comes and goes, and what are you left with? A sense of accomplishment sure, but what do we almost invariably do? We sign up for another one, because a sense of accomplishment does little for our life down the road.
Conclusion:
I think life is a series of small goals, constructed in such a way as to keep us moving forward. What about all those people working for the weekend or getting through the last months of school for their spring and summer breaks? (I don't think this is a new concept but) what about mid-life crises? You get through high school to get to college. You get through college to get a good job. You keep working hard to get promotions. Now what? All of the sudden, we realize all the goals we've created for ourselves have gotten us to this point, but they're ends have come and pass. We are constantly unsatisfied with some aspect of our current selves, so we create a goal to improve ourself, and so it goes
What happens if we no longer create goals for ourself? Desire, the essence of human existence, is expunged and leads to apathy and nothingness. But I don't want to be depressing on this hump-day. I don't believe there has to be a final end. Perhaps, if we continue to have goals to aim for, a final end is not necessary. Surely a life of constantly striving for our goals is one that will be *meaning*ful and show us that a final end is not needed to have joy in this life we've been given. We must also live in the present,but that is for a whole other post or 5.
Well this is far too long, and although I feel that I could write on this forever, I have some homework to do... so I can do well in this class... so i can get a degree... so I can get into grad school... so I can get a good job, make money, and retire young.
Lucky for me, there is a lot of knowledge at the end of my rainbows.
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The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.
ReplyDelete(Baudelaire, "The Usual Suspects, etc)
So where is the hope? I believe I understand your stance, but where is the hope?
Excellent line, and Usual Suspects is an excellent movie. I actually don't have much to go against that statement. I guess if the devil is able to pull that one off, then the devil wins the round.
ReplyDeleteThe question of hope is also a good one to pose. I guess my feeling is, if there is an overriding reason for our existence, and thus a final end, then we truly do have reason to hope for a future life, in any form that may take. However, if this life is all we've got to work with, then placing a hope in a future state is a misplacing and waste of our energies. But if that hope (one in a future state) is what is required for one to push through the day-to-day, then that is what that person needs.
Can you cite the source of that definition of revitalization, or is that your definition?
ReplyDeleteIf you believe church events are only mind-numbing drill to fend off the devil, you've been misled. Here are some other reasons:
ReplyDelete- Training: Through different life experience and natural abilities, some are in a position to impart instruction on others. It's as important spiritually as it is vocationally or academically, and it can be more effective to get away from the day to day and focus on this for a time.
- Rest: As you pointed out, life can wear us down. We are not robots. Again, a time and place set aside with like-minded people can be more effective for rejuvenation than only ever squeezing it in to the rest of the week. This aligns with the dictionary definition of revitalization.
- Reminders: We get caught up in life and forget to listen to God. A special event can serve to bring to light things we push to the dark corners.
- Worship: Sometimes believers are on top of the world and just get together and give God the credit for making them and blessing them. This may be at the same time a pouring out of oneself and a life-giving experience. (Being on top of the world is not a prerequisite for worship or its benefits; I'm just saying that sometimes events are called without an apparent motive of rebuilding or fixing something.)
- Service: The fortunate gather to help someone with a need. No distractions, just build the house; just make the food; just buy the clothes.
The bottom line is there's nothing stopping an all-powerful God from going directly to individuals and revitalizing them. I don't know if you put any historical value in the Bible, but there are plenty of examples of direct physical interaction there. But it also turns out that the all-powerful God I believe in just as often uses believers to carry more life to each other.
The quote is mine (for better or worse ha). It somehow came to me the other day, and from it, all the other stuff flowed. The definition, and the blog as a whole, are rather blunt. In hindsight I suppose they could use some reworking, but I still feel that the main points are valid.
ReplyDeleteI think a good synonym for my definition would be re*creat*ion. We constantly take our present selves and begin new or try to alter some aspect of us in such a way to create a new being. I guess 'create' (latin: creo) and 'life' (latin: vita) arn't too far off in meaning either.
You raise all valid points for the benefits of church events and I won't try to argue against them. My main reason for putting the church section in there was the following: I have constantly heard of people coming back from a mission fully revitalized and 'on-fire' for god, just to see them slip back into their old habits less than a few months later. Personally, I had a few church events (a week-long spring break at a camp in florida and a 4 day weekend at 3dyc in ohio) where I felt the same empowerment from attending the events. But just like the missionary stories, that fire faded. Again, I was probably more harsh than I should have been, but those experiences that I just listed were what I was thinking about as I wrote that section.
Hey Chris, yeah... I did become your facebook friend, and I did stalk you. Haha.
ReplyDeleteI like your stuff man, you've got some pretty interesting thoughts.
I'd have to side with Shawn on the church thing, although I definitely see your point in using it in this case. I too have experienced many ups and downs in faith and attending and partaking in different ministries and events, but I think the flow is more or a less a reflection of our nature. Why is it that we become "on-fire" for God at those conferences? I think there are many, but most of the time it is because of Christ working through community, worship, preaching, and learning. All of these things combined form an enhanced focus on God, and considering what He has done. When we leave these events, we lose fire for the opposite reason that we gained it. We allow ourselves to stray from community, we do not engulf ourselves in preaching and conversation, and we busy ourselves with other things than worshiping The Lord. All in all, I think it is just a reminder of our broken humanity, and how much we really need Him. More and more I am learning to apply "event" mentality to daily life, and not just to when I leave normality and go to some conference in a hotel.
Sorry, that was long, but I think as a tangent to this post, it was reasonable. See ya in class, man.
Ryan
Chris,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the response, but I wonder about the "misplacing and waste of our engergies" thing. I guess what I am thinking is this: all the things a person can hope in that are centered in "this world" can be taken away. If I place my hope in my exercise, or my number of publications, those will all fail me. I could lose the ability to walk, I could be rejected time and again in trying to publish. I (personally) think hoping in those things is a waste of time. But if I place my hope in Someone who is eternal, good, and in control, then that can never be taken away. My life could even end, but my hope is secure. I guess with this viewpoint I think that hoping in Christ is the most un-wasteful thing I can do. Believe me, I have spent the last 2 years trying to hope in those other things, but they end up stealing my life and letting me down. I have come to realize that if Christ is center, and my hope is in Him, come what may, I will not falter. Running, school, my marriage, my son, all of those things will let me down. I guess that the longer I live, the more obvious it is to me that I fall short of life, in and of myself. I need life to be given to me, and the only way for that to happen is to place my hope beyond myself. Sorry so long, it's just that this has been something I have been working through, and I hope it is ok that I work it through with you, and your readers, on your comment section. Peace.
Andrew,
ReplyDeleteDon't sweat the length or content of your comment at all! This is what this is all for!!! We're all in this together, and this is one of the main reasons I started this blog, to have it be a forum for everyone's thoughts. It's why my title is what it is. It's the focus on the thinking about and the experiencing of life! So if I only write one blog and then I spend the next month talking with people about it and other things, then that is time well spent!
As far as the content of your comment. I agree wholeheartedly with you that all these things are finite goals, that's one of the reason's why I say we keep reinventing ourselves and our goals. I guess what is distinguishing me from you is that I am just not ready to make the inference to a god and a life after this as a final and ultimate reason. I'm not saying your wrong or mistaken at all, it's just that at this point in my life, I can't justify myself making that step. But this all gets back to that experience thing. You're at a much different stage in life. Who knows, maybe something will cross my path that changes things.
"Lucky for me, there is a lot of knowledge at the end of my rainbows."
ReplyDeleteActually, don't forget that according to your Humean epistemology, the probability that there is much *knowledge* at the end of your rainbow is pretty low. But if you want to be a Reidian or Plantingian like me, you're right that you do have plenty of knowledge in store. ;)
Chris,
ReplyDeleteCool. Thanks for the gracious attitude. And if I might, with the possibility of revealing personal bias, I do hope someday someOne, not just someThing, will cross your path and change things.
And yes, The Usual Suspects is great. I'm going to have to watch that one again soon.
Peace.
Hey, I really like this post. It kind of ties into what I've been dwelling on recently: to exist for existence's sake.
ReplyDeleteIf mankind had a "goal," what would it be, and what would we do once it's been accomplished? Is there any justification for existence, or is it all...existence for existence's sake.