By The Revd Preb Julian Ould
We are free! We live in a free society, and this means that we can do our own thing. Well, not exactly, for we do have perimeters, – we have laws that are designed to sustain some sense of order, lest we degenerate into a state of anarchy. If we look at the history of our world, we can see situations, where both extremes of too tight a regime on the one hand can be oppressive and often result in a revolt. Like the French Revolution, where the downtrodden masses rose up against the decadent aristocracy, and on the other hand, situations where all sense of order and control is gone and anything goes, with people degenerating to crime and violence, as has sadly been seen in something like a natural disaster situation, where normal structures disappear.
However, having said this, by and large we do accept the sense of a just legal system and still find a lot of scope to do our own thing, and this is good, for it is only in a free state that we can truly live and be ourselves, and hence find happiness.
Now the title of my Holy Thought is: ‘Doing your own thing – the life of a monk’. On face value this might seem very odd. And whilst I was reflecting on what I would say, I looked back over my own past. I trained within a religious order, and for three years lived, in part, the life of a monastic, and I have to be honest, whilst I was perfectly happy, it would not have appeared to be a situation in which ‘my own thing’ really had a place. For we were governed by a very strict set of rules, and our time was fully occupied with studies and prayer, yes, but also daily duties. In fact, if I tell you that our days started at 6:30am and finished at 9:30pm after which we were expected to be silent until the end of breakfast the next day, you will see what I mean.
So why am I saying this? Well, because there is a link, for in truth whilst we all assume that total freedom to do our own thing is the key to life and happiness, – it isn’t. For, like it or not, we all like to belong, and though at times it is good to be alone, most self-esteem only comes as a result of the opinions of those around us.
I’m not convinced that the life of a monastic is a particularly good example for most people, in that it is tied up with the idea of vocation, – a calling from God, to be a monk. But perhaps a better example of what I mean, is something like the Royal Navy, or indeed any of the armed forces. The discipline is strong, expectations are made, and yet within this comes comradeship and belonging, a sense of self-respect, and indeed a pride of position and purpose. And to a lesser or greater degree this is true of all organisations or businesses, – of, in fact, the communities that we are part of.
If we can have a part to play, a role to fulfil, however small, then we will indeed find life and happiness, and the chances are that we might well end up doing our own thing, – the thing that we are good at or enjoy, anyway. Yes, I am conscious that people grumble about work, and there are those who do things that they don’t enjoy, to earn a living, and this is sad, and where possible people should strive to change this. But by and large, the grumbles are really only part of doing ‘our thing’, and we are content to have something to grumble about. Or in my case, something to worry about, for my daughters used to claim that unless I had something to worry about, I worried about it!
We need to belong, and this was very much at the heart of what the life and teaching of Jesus was about. And if we stop and think of the consequences of acting freely but without thought for others, or indeed of sometimes struggling to go it alone with a task and failing, then we would quickly see that some actions could result in misery for others and even bring retaliation or harm to ourselves.
It is good to do our own thing, and it is right to have perimeters that are not too restrictive, but it is essential to belong and have a part to play.
May we grasp the importance of this and so enjoy to the full the life of freedom that we have.