It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair...
Charles Dickens
A good knowledge of time is a prerequisite for knowing what to do. This knowledge of time is about seeing what is really hidden under time's cloak. The truth is that the essence of things does not change at any time; only the appearance changes: "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun," - says the Bible.
It is my hope that the following three trends of our time will give us food for thought as to what is the right thing to do.
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Amazing technological developments are not delivering the results they promise. Are we really more connected to each other than we were before the digital age came along? Do we really have more time for ourselves, our families, and our communities? Are we happier because we are better informed?
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The impressive increase in economic prosperity around the globe has not brought about a better world order. Tensions and violent conflicts continue to thwart dreams of peace. The powerful men of the world continue to use their standards of (in)justice to harm the unprotected minorities. The crumbs that fall from the tables of the rich only increase the hungriness of the poor.
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The expansion of human rights without any criteria has threatened the fundamental rights on which the whole structure of civilization is built. In particular, freedom of expression, conscience, and religion are being suffocated under the pressure of the so-called new rights. The perversion of human rights, a consequence of the (anti)culture of hedonism and selfishness, threatens to erase the boundaries between right and duty, vice and virtue, the good and the bad.
Finally, I want this post to be read as something other than a critique of technological and economic progress and individual freedoms. I simply want us to reflect on the undesirable effects of these developments of our time, to free ourselves from digital addiction with consequences for our mental health, from the uncontrolled pursuit of material wealth that impoverishes the soul, and from the spirit of conformity and (in)tolerance that rejects the distinction between values and vices.
St. Paul's advice is always relevant: "Be careful, therefore, how you live. Don't live like a fool but like a wise man. Make good use of your time, for we are living in bad days."