Managing the madness

If we are not careful, the chaos and madness of our world these days can certainly overwhelm our thoughts and leave us feeling emotionally numb.

I feel it. The relentless onslaught of tragic occurrences would be almost unbelievable were it a movie script. But it is real.

Paris. Orlando. San Bernardino. Nice. Baton Rouge. Dallas. And I could broaden the list to include Iran, Sudan, Germany, and any number of unnamed and unknown towns where violence continues to play out under the radar of national media.

I have found the concerted effect of these events has been a deep sense of anguish mixed with anger, which devolves eventually into a self-protective hardening of the heart lest the pain become debilitating.

And I hate that. I hate that there are times when I don’t feel as badly as I should when new reports of senseless murder and mayhem dominate the headlines.

I hate the fact that wave after wave of tragedy can cause my heart to withdraw into a protective cave of non-feeling.

For me, the antidote is beauty. In the midst of pervasive gloom, an infusion of beauty can coax my heart out of the darkness and back into the vibrancy of human connectedness.

In short, beauty reminds me I am human, and therefore, my brother’s keeper regardless of who or where my brothers and sisters may be.

Here’s where I find beauty, and I offer these to you as suggestions for interjecting some of its heart-lightening properties into your every day.

First and foremost is my relationship with my wife. For me, beauty begins with a satisfying, rejuvenating relationship with the one who knows me best, and loves me the most.

Time spent just being is the greatest reminder life is to be lived with joy, regardless of the external circumstances. We were created for relationship, and it is here we find that sense of beauty and normalcy on which to ground a positive outlook on life even when surrounded by negatives.

Second, I find time appreciating natural beauty to be both relaxing and invigorating. Sharing a glass of wine while watching the sun set in the west as the heat of the day diminishes can be extremely encouraging to a ravaged soul.

Taking time to enjoy a forest, river, lake, or ocean experience can do wonders to remind me this world is not completely mad.

Of course, there are other ways to infuse some beauty into your life. I love music and find the music that has endured for centuries carries with it a quality that both moves and nourishes the soul.

Great music restores emotional balance, engenders both joy and sadness for the right reasons, and brings the kind of relaxation that enhances the enjoyment of life.

Why all this talk about beauty? From my vantage point much of the rage and violence that have become commonplace in our world begin in hearts that just don’t see good anymore. They are fixated on what is broken, and are largely blind to the good around them.

This is not to say the brokenness doesn’t demand to be fixed. It does! But unless we approach the problems with emotional balance and a knowledge of what is truly good and right, we will forever be settling for immediate gratification, even if it is irrational.

It will take good people to solve bad problems. But those good people must not succumb to the pervasive sentiment that doing bad can bring about good.

Good people can only do good things if they remain good. And, while remaining unaffected by the hate-filled chaos around us is difficult, it is mandatory if we are ever to find common ground on the myriad problems we face.

My point is simple. Don’t let the pain and anguish of senseless violence harden your heart and leave you emotionally numb. Stay alive, in every sense.

Infuse your days with beauty, and refuse to allow circumstances to force you into the popular mold of rage.

James, the brother of Jesus, put it this way: “Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” (James 1:19,20).

And adding some beauty everyday can keep you emotionally and intellectually available to deal well with the circumstances that come your way.