When you think or say the word “society”, dear reader, what are the first thoughts that arise from your everyday life, from the experience of your everyday life? It was this question that initiated a small personal inquiry into the spiritual-anthropological field of man. Surveys have shown that the majority of respondents have experienced conflict with themselves, others, society and “the whole world”. Their experiences are disruption, disharmony and disunity, the experience of personal powerlessness amid the insecurity of living in the complex structures of society, and as if “there is nothing simple” in our interpersonal relationships.
Reading the surveys, my first thought was: where did their answers and words come from? From what causes? Where did their damage and injuries come from: parents, family, kindergarten, school, friends, church environment, society as a whole!?
It became clear that in this fragmented postmodern age there is a background that we do not see because we are not aware of it. We have become very vulnerable, which means insecure. A tired and disturbed man is no longer so fascinated by the results of science and technology. Superficiality and tentative nature of listening, understanding, sensation and experience become like the “normal bitter or sweet” reality in the field of techincal communication as well. (cf. e.g. “love bombing”).
The complexity and harshness of everyday life keeps us “on the surface” because “who still manages to find himself in the sea of problems and questions that are imposed on us every day and that torment us?” – are the words of many people. If the majority of people have such experiences, then it is indisputably related to the fact that in our society a firmly defined existential suffering manifests itself. People experience that they lose their personal orientation because it seems that no one answers their personal questions. The responses of social and church structures and politicians are lost in generalizations and seem to be unrelated to the real and actual lives of individuals and their problems. Many cultural and social traditions have been lost so that many people have been left “rootless” and are searching for the same ones, constantly asking themselves, “Who will show me a solid foundation for my life?”
Various paths of searching for the truth about man, for the truth about oneself, are revealed. In this search for solid foundations, a limited and wounded man reaches for what is within reach, something that offers “instant” quick answers, something that he likes. This “something” gives a feeling of relaxation that calms and gives tranquility, gives pleasant spiritual experiences and relief. The experience of working with people in need confirms that it is the superficiality that results from the lack of true knowledge, the source of many human wrong decisions, the result of which are painful consequences for the person personally, but also for his relatives and the environment.
From the responses of the survey participants, it was observed that everyone reacts in their own way: someone is powerless, empty, without perspective, indifferent, defeatist, and someone aggressive with a lot of harsh words. A few said “that a new solution should be found with the goal of cooperation between people.” Yet, they all have one thing in common: They are looking for the reasons for hope and a way out because it is impossible to endure life without a goal, a perspective, and a view of the future.
Reasons for hope
- The spiritual-anthropological truth about man is that man can recover, can be healthier, and observing man as a project, we can say that he can be healthy. This is testified by the indestructible hope and faith that a better world and a spiritually healthy man are possible. (cf. T. Ivančić, Hagiotherapy in the Encounter with Man). He is what he can be and what he expresses through longings, efforts and cries. These capabilities were given to him by the Creator, and man is able to adopt life more and more, to know more comprehensively, to gain more and more strength to deal with personal problems and sufferings, he is able to create, to decide for good and truth, for health.
- Life must have some content. You cannot go anywhere and you cannot have nowhere to go. (cf. T. Ivančić, Return of Hope). Standing still is the most difficult. You cannot, dear reader, forever feel sorry for yourself, resent and accuse others. If man’s cognition and his will are healed and spiritually trained, then it is possible for man to transcend frauds and injustices, attacks and lies and see that only in true knowledge and moral decision and purposeful action is peace, satisfaction and dignity.
- In order for man to be correct, according to Christian philosophical anthropology, his knowledge should be based on the Logos, because he is the ultimate criterion of the truth of man’s knowledge. The truth comes from the Logos, and the spirit equips man to follow the inspirations of the True One. The spirit equips man to know the truth, to express it through speech and to act on it.
- Truth is not only in knowledge but also in will. It was only when we decided on the truth that it became transparent to us. Countless people have separated themselves from the trugh of the Logos, and have lost the criterion of truth and fallen into various ideological delusions. Every ideology obscures the truth about man and the Creator. We are witnessing this especially in our time when there is an ideological desire to change the anthropology of man.
- A similar thing happens when man is prevented from choosing the truth by various interests. If he decides for short-term interests, then he moves away from reality and existence. Man’s decisions for values, for justice, wisdom, prudence, are the decisions that make him safe and happy. (cf. T. Ivančić, Diagnosis of the Soul and Hagiotherapy – Christian philosophical anthropology).
- What is fundamental, dear reader? The truth is that we should all turn to the Logos from whom the truth comes, so that we can change the concept of our trust and our understanding and outlook on life. Question: is there a hopeless situation for me? It really tells whether I have a fundamental trust or a fundamental distrust of Absolute Being. The consequences are that the Creator cannot help us as long as we see Him as half of our life, and evil and misfortune as the other half of our life.
Truly, man would not have endured if he had not been given hope, but in the “seed”. And hope is born in the truth about man that comes from the Logos, from Jesus of Nazareth. Without His information, man does not know the truth about himself, about the world, suffering, pain, and hope. Healing spiritual-anthropological damage, wounds and suffering essentially means “awakening” hope because it is true, which means realistic. Hope is strength in sickness, it becomes the capability of our soul when it is revived by the Spirit, it gives strength that we will reach health, it is a view over despair and meaninglessness.
Are we aware that we are given the capability to rise from all falls?
Silva Vrdoljak, theologian, mentor in hagiotherapy who has been working as a hagioassistant for 20 years.
