Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of PLEASURE....

So I can’t get it out of my mind.  Yesterday, I was teaching a sophomore class in one of the outlying towns & there is this girl who said something so… well, human, I guess, but it bugged me to no end.

At some point in my beginning of my teaching I give a little “history lesson” about STD’s.  The fact is that in the past 60 years we have gone from 2 STDs to over 50 major ones, and those 2 that we had back in 1950 were 2 that have existed for centuries.  So it’s a very obvious behavior shift that influenced where we are now…. Anyone guess yet what that was????  Yep, exactly…. The 70s….  Peace…. Love…. & STDs.... (& in that order too…. )
So as I was explaining that while I think the “Hippy Generation” had some awesome clothes, their mindset of “If it feels good, do it” just didn’t work out so good in the long run, this petite little teenager turns to her friend & mutters something.  Never one to not demand me some respect, I asked her point blank “What did you say?” She looked at me pretty boldly & said “I wish I could live in a time like that.”  Well, sweetheart, it’s your lucky day!   You got your wish…. You’re living in it…. ‘cuz not much has changed since then….
(Oh & by the way, did you see the documentary where the guy who had one too many tokes cries on & on about the friends he lost post-70s to AIDS??  Have you ever sat in front of one who lived through that generation & humbly apologizes to his classroom for the mess that was created for this generation??  Have you thought for just ONE SINGLE MOMENT about what it will be like to talk to your kids about the projected 75 to 100 STI’s that will face their generation?  Or maybe you haven’t because after yesterday you realize that if you keep up with your current life mantra, you will most likely mess up your reproductive system so bad it won’t work out quite the way you would have imagined anyway……)

What is wrong with us?? And what in the world is going to stop us from learning to live beyond ourselves & what “feels good”??? 

Those are the days that I drive home & think, “Really?  That’s what I’m facing?” because in so many ways, you wonder how you can really make a difference when a teenager so obviously does not care to look beyond the right now.  And not only that, they refuse to look beyond self…. 

And you know what?  I’d love to blame it on the teenager, but I know better – because way too many adults are stuck in the same rut –“Living for today” & worrying about themselves because after all, “If I don’t worry about me, who will???”

And I get it in a way, really I do – I mean I hear it all the time too…. 

But I look back at history & all the people, well-meaning or not, who have gone through this life journey before me to ask the question, “Really???  You just live your own life & care for yourself & find pleasure for yourself & that’s it??”
No way…. I mean, NO WAY that it’s worked out that way in history.  Person affects person affects person affects person…..  Generation affects generation affects generation affects generation…..There isn’t any “I’ll just do this for myself because it makes me happy & it feels good for me & well, it’s my life.”  It’s more like “I either get that it’s not just about me & the people behind me will then reap the consequences of that”  OR “I get that I do what I want because I want to & well, when it comes down to it, I don’t care how it affects you or anyone after you”….

But how do you explain that to a sophomore in high school?  How do you get someone to figure out that life is bigger than she is & that every action has a consequence whether good or bad & that there is so much more beyond the right here, right now?  (yes, I have the same early 90’s song in my head right now too… shoot….)

Does it take having kids?  More history classes?  Or maybe more social justice classes?  Does it take living in poverty?  Or living with chronic illness?  Or being exposed to other generations – young & old?
I’m not sure – I mean yeah, they are all good options & good intentions.  And at some point I have to believe that an hour long class with me will help break through some of that mindset as well or believe me, I wouldn’t keep doing it…..

But real change?  Real “get out of yourself” change?  Well, the truth is, I’m fighting for it in my own life every single day.   

Because wouldn’t it just be easier to say “Live for yourself.”  “Find what makes you happy & just do it.”?? 

So in the end, teenager, adult, child, parent – we are all having to go AGAINST ourselves to get OUTSIDE of ourselves.  And man is that tough sometimes……

But here’s a bit of hope -- So I met this guy in junior high & He taught me a lot about how to live outside myself by saying things like:

“You have heard it was said, “Love your neighbor & hate your enemies, but I tell you: “Love your enemies…”

“I tell you, do not worry about your life….”

“Make a tree good & its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad & its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.”

“The things that come out of the mouth come from the heart…”

“What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?”

“Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant just as I did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give my life as a ransom for many.”

And most promising of all, even if we mess up, even if for a time we choose the pleasure of the now for ourselves over the pain of the fight against ourselves, He has words for us too…..

In fact, to one man, who just couldn’t get out of pleasure for himself, he said, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors & the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.   For John the Baptist came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors & the prostitutes did.  And even after you saw this, you still did not repent & believe him…..”  (Matthew 21:31-32)
Did you catch that?  The blessing & the warning at the same time?   (He’s kinda cool like that….)  It’s hope for those of us that choose the “fun right now” & it’s hope for that girl from yesterday who so desperately wished she could live life for herself & most likely will end up making choices with consequences that last a really, really long time…… and it’s a warning too ‘cuz listen, how many times do you have to hear it or see it before you allow yourself to believe it???

And you know what’s really ironic in all this?  The minute you get beyond your OWN happiness, your own pleasure, your own SELF….. well, that’s when you start REALLY pursuing abundant life.  And so I’m off  - - to my own pursuit….