"To be inspired is the ultimate antidote to existential despair."
- Jason Silva
To start off, this week in my reading of Phantastes I was inspired. Now admittedly, I found this book slightly difficult to read not because of its stylistic differences to modern literature, but rather because of its seemingly random events woven throughout the story. My mind is such that I try to make order out of everything, every little minute detail, every mundane occurrence. I feel that this book is written in such a way that these random occurrences serve to help deepen the mystery of the secondary world being constructed in the minds of its readers. Early on I had to come to this realization and then appropriate my mind in the way I read this book. Once I was able to recognize this, I quickly adapted and was able to fully enjoy the reading.
I believe that my experience in reading Phantastes has given me a very valuable life lesson.
Why must I search for the meaning in something? Why do I press forward trying to find some intricate detail in beautiful things? Sometimes things happen simply because they must. Other times things happen because God has ordained it and it may not be for me to understand in that moment.
To quote Macdonald:
"it is no use trying to account for things in Fairy Land; and one who travels there soon learns to forget the very idea of doing so, and takes everything as it comes; like a child, who, being in a chronic condition of wonder, is surprised at nothing."
I think that for some people, possibly, they are at a place in their lives where they must persevere to find meaning in the things that they stumble across. But I think for me, right now, I am in a period of life where I've lost that inborn quality of wonder. I look around and see things so very black and white. Amazing prospects that I am faced with seem so terribly monotonous. It's almost as if the harsh reality of existence and seemingly constant unfulfillment has dulled my senses to the vivid architecture of being. I believe that this is what happens to adults who turn their minds from the wonderful qualities of the fantastic. Perhaps they have become complacent in their attempts to find that misplaced quality of wonder and awe. Or possibly it's just that the realities of this world has them tired and beaten. Whatever the case, I think that we must never give up on searching for and keeping that inward sense of awe and wonder that God has so obviously created in us.
I believe that my experience in reading Phantastes has given me a very valuable life lesson.
Why must I search for the meaning in something? Why do I press forward trying to find some intricate detail in beautiful things? Sometimes things happen simply because they must. Other times things happen because God has ordained it and it may not be for me to understand in that moment.
To quote Macdonald:
"it is no use trying to account for things in Fairy Land; and one who travels there soon learns to forget the very idea of doing so, and takes everything as it comes; like a child, who, being in a chronic condition of wonder, is surprised at nothing."
I think that for some people, possibly, they are at a place in their lives where they must persevere to find meaning in the things that they stumble across. But I think for me, right now, I am in a period of life where I've lost that inborn quality of wonder. I look around and see things so very black and white. Amazing prospects that I am faced with seem so terribly monotonous. It's almost as if the harsh reality of existence and seemingly constant unfulfillment has dulled my senses to the vivid architecture of being. I believe that this is what happens to adults who turn their minds from the wonderful qualities of the fantastic. Perhaps they have become complacent in their attempts to find that misplaced quality of wonder and awe. Or possibly it's just that the realities of this world has them tired and beaten. Whatever the case, I think that we must never give up on searching for and keeping that inward sense of awe and wonder that God has so obviously created in us.
No comments:
Post a Comment