Listening to Lucy

Until this year I haven't spent much time thinking about polarisation. 

Our divisions, whether political or racial or religious, seemed unnecessary to me. I had a curiosity about people who were different from me, and enjoyed seeking them out when I could, to discover their point of view; but like most people I tended to swim in particular seas (ideologically) and assumed what people said was what they meant, and it all seemed fairly straightforward.

But the shifts and changes combined with the explosive acceleration of communication affecting the ideological landscape have resulted in a very different terrain from where we were before the pandemic. Truth has emerged magnificently at the same time as lies have proliferated astonishingly. It's hard to pick a way through the muddle. Everything is in such a confusion of development and emergence that it's tricky to spot the path the light shines on. It's there, of course, it just takes patience and time and spaciousness (simplicity), watching and waiting until its fragile light strengthens up into a clearly discernible thread.

Adding to the chaos is polarity. It's hard to discuss anything with somebody who holds the view that if you believe this then you must believe that. It's like getting out the hair that gets stuck in the plughole of the sink. You pull out what seemed to be just a little bit, only to find it has all kinds of accumulated crud attached to it. It has become impossible to have a perspective on any topic without it being assumed you have internalised all the rest of the ideological package.

Because of all this, it is only with my husband — who has different politics, different spiritual understandings, and a different cultural outlook from mine — that I feel free to discuss these things frankly and in depth. He is very patient with me.

Then a thought occurred to me today that I found helpful. Have you read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (C.S.Lewis)? I think you probably have. If you haven't, or read it years ago and no longer have a copy, just at the moment you can get it free on Kindle (at Amazon).

I wanted to quote you a snippet from it, but when I went back to it I realised there isn't a short part encapsulating what I was remembering. You really need to read the whole chapter (Ch.V — Back on this side of the door) , but I'll summarise and explain why I've brought it to your attention.

This is the chapter where Lucy's older brother and sister (Peter and Susan) begin to think she must have lost her mind because of the nonsense she's spouting (about the existence of Narnia — ridiculous, right?). They ask the opinion of their brother Edmund (who has also been to Narnia), but he lies about it and pretends that she is just making it up. 

Troubled, and unable to pick out truth from lies/make-believe, thinking that Lucy might actually have become a little unhinged, Peter and Susan go to ask the Professor (I've given him capitals because in a story like this a professor is a wisdom/authority archetype and I think Lewis expects us to recognise that). 

He listens to them very carefully, and then he asks them, "How do you know your sister's story is not true?"

He asks them which they would evaluate as the most reliable — the most truthful — their sister or their brother? And Peter says that up until now he'd have said "Lucy" every time. So the Professor asks the same question of Susan; and she says that she likewise would have said the same as Peter — but that what Lucy is saying couldn't be true. She admits they have been worried there could be something wrong with Lucy's mind.

The Professor says it is very clear Lucy is not mad. He says that logically there are only three possibilities: either she is mad, or telling lies, or telling the truth. He says that, since she is clearly not mad and they know she does not tell lies, they must assume she is telling the truth.

Now, in the landscape of confusion and dissension where we currently find ourselves, we have to acknowledge there is a fourth possibility: that a sane and truthful person could simply be mistaken, given the depth and breadth of muddle that surrounds us. They might be confused, might have been taken in by the propaganda of others, might later change their mind. So they might be sane and truthful, but gullible and misinformed.

Even taking that into account, I think in our present position, we should be quietly bypassing Edmund and listening to Lucy (whoever is the equivalent in your own life).

So, in picking your way through the chaos, trying to find your bearings, I'd recommend asking yourself, "Who let me down in the past? Who deceived me? Who played me? Who tried to blag me and manipulate me? Who used me?" Discount them as a reliable guide.

Then ask yourself, "Whom have I found trustworthy in the past? Who turned out to hold the wise perspective? In circumstances of conflicting narratives, who told me the truth before? Whose life and practice do I hold in esteem?" And listen to them. Listen to Lucy.

Look at the people you know, and select the ones who are wise and honourable, people of integrity, people who have sheltered others and built up something good and brought order out of chaos. Listen to their opinions. 

Of course we should pay some attention to everyone, because sometimes surprising individuals hold the luminous vision, and if we simply ignore them we could miss that. As Max Ehrmann said, "Speak your own truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and ignorant; they too have their story." But in general, the ones whose lives are a mess, and who rely on others and let people down, are less likely to offer you a trustworthy evaluation. As someone else said (Chuck Swindoll? James Dobson?), "If your Christianity doesn't work at home, it doesn't work: don't export it." 

And then, of course, what Susan and Peter did next was to go through the wardrobe themselves (in their case by happenstance, but we could go on purpose). They listened to Lucy and did not dismiss her (or believe her), but it was making their own exploration that changed their minds. And the same applies to us; we can do our own diligence. Listen to the voices of those you know from experience are holding the light (even if their views sound improbable or are unpalatable); then take the time to do your own exploring. Go and look. Thoroughly. Go into the territories beyond what is familiar to you, and see for yourself. Then you will be in a better position to decide what is wise, what is true.

Listen to the spiritual voices, not just the political ones. Listen to what is visionary and weigh it up against what is practical and realistic. Be cautious about adding your own voice to the cacophony. If you want to act prophetically towards bringing in the Kingdom, do so by small acts of kindness and love in your immediate circle. Roaring and waving flags is not always necessary. Sometimes holding your light steady is more effectively accomplished in quietness.

I hope that helps. Your own thoughts??