The Dance of the Spheres.

With distress, I am following events in Catalonia from the comfort of this little Irish island of Sherkin. I can sympathise with both sides, while I understand that it must be very difficult to do so if one is caught up in the immediate situation. We hear many families and friends find themselves unable to talk to each other about it, as has been happening in the recent spate of referenda in these islands. Si, the Catalans and the rest of the ‘inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula’ know each other all too well and better than me; however, I do know the whole lot of them to a degree. Anyway, we are all members of the EU, and ultimately will have some responsibility for what happens. For what it’s worth, and at least with no axe to grind, I shall offer some detached but sympathetic comments, while staying away from the gripes they have about each other and that we can all read of easily enough for ourselves in their own words.

We men are often accused by the ladies these days of having ‘fragile egos’. I do not deny it, except in the sense that the remark implies that they have no such problem; they are merely inclined to express it differently. But it is ever a grave temptation to reinforce one’s own sense of identity by opposing it to some ‘other’. Unfortunately, the closer this ‘other’ is, the more effective the ploy becomes; after all, it can only work to the degree in which one knows one’s Other! As with our partners, we can only ask them to forgive us; it is generally counterproductive to get defensive.

Does this mean that one just has to roll over and take abuse? Of course not. Life is a constant struggle against hostile forces of one kind or another. Life itself stands opposed to death, and this confrontation runs all through our lives. But this being so, how do we imagine it must end? There is a man who apparently accepted death head on, and went right on through it. He recommends that we turn the other cheek, forgive our neighbour their sins against us, and in this way we can come to the conviction that actually He is Life itself, and does prevail, evil itself being ultimately reduced to pure nothingness.

Let us accept the principle that in general Life is calling the human race to ever greater cohesion. Our lives are enriched in countless ways by the fruits of a knowledge-base and technology that is increasingly globalised, but it is also true that with them come unprecedented threats, both physical, moral and spiritual. If one takes for example climate change, it can only be addressed successfully if human beings at every level, from the global via continents and countries to the personal, turn their minds to the business. Certainly, we cannot possibly leave such matters merely to ‘the experts’, though we do have to pay attention to them.

In this view, the notion that any nation is self-sufficient is nonsense, any more than any individual is. It would be a very good idea if we substitute the word ‘role’ for ‘identity’. If we are to establish satisfactory and effective identities/roles for ourselves, we must do so on multiple levels, and old-fashioned nationalisms or any other kind of egotistical short-circuit, any attempt to duck this imperative, have no place in the becoming world. On an equal footing with one another, while also with due self-respect, we must go out to encounter and embrace the Other.

All the various spheres of life have their own role and indeed autonomy, provided this autonomy is conceived as playing its part in the totality of life rather than as an end in itself. It is important that every sphere does so, both great and small, otherwise it will spin off into irresponsibility and ultimately self-destruction.

The ‘Enemy’, who wants us to do just this, always says, as in the Book of Exodus: ‘I will pursue and overtake them, I will divide the plunder, I shall have my will. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.’  All one can say is, let those whom this cap fits, wear it! But he, the Prince of Lies, comes in many guises.

Meanwhile, in despite of such problems, getting the right balance between the various spheres is a never-ending and intriguing affair; let us enjoy the dance; let it be fun!