Hewing Crosses

A line from my previous post 'The Cross Unseen' states: "countless unknown, crucified with questions hang upon crosses of meaninglessness and alienation".  The theme of alienation is prominent in my writing for I regard it as contemporary society's greatest challenge.  Although the cross is a Christian symbol, it represents human suffering--and often the suffering it represents is not acknowledged by those not directly effected buy it.

As we advanced from horse and buggy villages to the jet-powered intercontinental world, we  unwittingly left God behind; so busy were we with out 'advancing'.  Historically different cultures have given what each considers to be God, different names--be it Yahweh, Christ, Allah, The Tao, The Great Spirit, The Buddha, Benevolent Universe . . . but by whatever name, the 'god concept' embodies purpose and the way people are to live.

In our society's progress we have championed individualism, competition and technology.  Each of these have played a legitimate role in the nation's development but they have been overstressed; without balancing elements that include a moral code and common goals they have led to a kind of tyranny--emphasis on individualism makes us forget that although we are individuals we are also a part of a society whose proper functioning requires respect and compromise.  The emphasis upon competition blinds us to all else but 'winning' while craving trophies that display our success.  The advancement of technology has relentlessly taken us away from the human element; we've become narcissistic, myopically intent upon taking care of #1, remote and removed from heartfelt human interaction.

With these developments we have allowed God's prominence to fade from guiding our thoughts and actions so, as our knowledge advances and our horizons expand, we find ourselves alone in an ever more confounding universe without map or compass. . . . thus are we surrounded by a sea of lost and alienated individuals who have heard of, and come to believe in, life's meaninglessness.  Without an anchor in moral principles or any meaningful purpose beyond their small selves, life seems absurd . . . so we are plagued with a spectrum of irrational behaviors from senseless mass shootings, to youthful suicides, to self-destructive life choices, to wild rave partying and event riots . . .
                                                 each age hews its crosses . . .

The Cross Unseen

In Roman times the cross was a common feature of the landscape, feared, but unremarkable--until history changed our perspective.
As science moved to the forefront of our thinking, God was gradually squeezed out . . . what we failed to notice was that, without God in whose image we are said to be created we lost our place of prominence in the order of things having meaning and direction; without God we are simply one of nature's products--without purpose or goal--expendable.

The Cross Unseen

Each age hews its crosses

Knowing not what it is doing.

The present does not judge itself.

That is the destiny of the future.

Only distance offers perspective

While involvement is ever shortsighted.

We invest our Pilates with power

And command them to rule us.

They pass judgments forced upon them

Then wash their hands.

Who then is responsible?

Where lies the greatest blame?

The web of existence is infinitely complex

And so great the number of weavers!

Each mistake undetected, is on all sides supported,

And multiplies itself a thousandfold.

Only the magnitude of deicide

Can expose the flaw.

How many be the nameless

Lost in oblivion

Until the Christ is sacrificed

Upon the cross of that flaw?

And when will He come?

And how will He be known?

Each time He is different--

Yet ever the same beneath the appearances.

And always He is unknown

(Save to a few)

Until the deed is done

And time gives sight to the involvement that was.

The slaughter of innocence,

The nameless unknown--

expended--to keep the flaw hidden

Within the tangled web,

For its detection means reordering

And the involvement demands continuous action.

As complexity progresses,

Do not the centers of order multiply?

Minor centers, radiating around The Center

Raising a need for many christs

The One, of the Whole,

Showing the pattern to the parts?

Each age hews its crosses

Knowing not what it is doing.

Now, the countless unknown, crucified with questions

Hang upon crosses of meaninglessness and alienation.

From whence will come the Christ

Whose sacrifice will illuminate the flaw?