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The Oxymoron of Our Age

We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; more degrees, but less common sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness.

These are the days of two incomes, but more divorce; of fancier houses, but broken homes. These are the days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw-away morality, one-night stands, overweight bodies, and drugs, alcohol, and tobacco that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.

We spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too seldom, watch TV and listen to music too much, criticize too quickly, and appreciate too seldom.

We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways and travel opportunities, but narrower viewpoints; we earn and spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy them less.

These are the times of fastfoods and slow digestion; more kinds of food, but less nutrition; more leisure and less fun; tall people and short characters; steep profits, and shallow relationships. These are the times of world peace, but there’s domestic warfare and strife.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, lie too often, and love too seldom. We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life; we’ve added years to life, not life to years.

We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet and occassionally invite the new neighbor to gatherings. We’ve conquered outer space, but not inner space; we’ve done larger things, but not better things; we’re cleaning up the air, land, and sea, but continue to pollute our soul; we’ve split the atom and the cell, but not our prejudice; we write more, but learn less; plan more, but accomplish less.

We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait; we have higher incomes, but lower morals; more food and possessions but less appeasement; more acquaintances, but fewer friends; more effort, but less success. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but have less communication and respect for the wisdom of the elders; we’ve become long on quantity, but short on quality. This world seems to glory in form… without substance.

When people are impersonal. When my role in the society and ecosystem becomes more complex and confusing, I am glad to be one of the growing number of activists for the environment and indigenous knowledge. A plain son to my parents, a plain brother to my fraternity, and a plain Mimon to my friends. When this world provides no comfort and peace, I am blessed to be able to turn to my Creator for salvation and assurance.

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