In my most recent post, I pointed out that apathy is prevalent among us. I also mentioned that apathy involves more than the lack of evidence or satisfying intellectual Christian responses and arguments. When I traced apathy, I found that the problem lies primarily in the human heart. An apathetic heart is a side-effect of a rebellious heart that is not willing to consider the question, “what is the truth?” seriously. The verse I quoted from the book of Jeremiah in the Old Testament points out that apathy, desensitization to immorality and sin are natural consequences to this state of rebellion. Despite oppression, corruption, and idolatry, the people of Jeremiah’s days felt no shame and no humiliation in their sin (Jeremiah 6: 10, 15).
But, how can someone recover from such a state?
Assess
“Stand by the roadways and look...” (Jeremiah 6:16).
Jeremiah was a prophet. I understand you might not believe in real prophets. Suspend that thought for a moment as what is to come does not hinge on you believing whether he was a prophet or whether God exists. God was telling Jeremiah why He was going to punish Israel for their moral corruption, oppression, and idolatry. Yet, it seemed that God was willing to offer mercy as He did with the people of Nineveh. See the book of Jonah in the Old Testament. God was telling Jeremiah that He had told the people of Israel to “stand by the roadways and look.” According to God then, the first step is to asses how you are choosing to live. What will you find? You will find many ways, roadways, courses of action, and paths. Today, this would translate to many faiths, many ideologies, many religions, etc.
Sometimes, a serious challenge, an existential dilemma or a question will force us to assess our choices. This is true especially when your belief system cannot afford to provide a satisfying intellectual answer or sufficient condolence. It can be the loss of a loved one or a job, or social unrest. Perhaps, it is a relational hardship, a disease, or mental health issue. These are examples of life circumstances that force us to stop and assess our choices. But we don’t have to wait till a crisis hits.
Ask
“Ask about the ancient paths: Which is the way to what is good?” (Jeremiah 6:16).
Life is like a journey that you have not gone on before. When you decide to take the highway to reach a destination for the first time, you consult a map, road signs, or a GPS. You "ask" for the right way to get to your destination. It is true that in a highway system, many roads can take you there. But even then, one still has to choose the proper route. Then, we agree that to lead to a flourishing life, one must ask about the path to take to reach such life.
God was telling Jeremiah that He had told His people, in effect, “don’t take my word that I AM the way and the destination, consult those who trod the paths before you. See if their faith was capable of providing the answers to how a man can attain a good life.” To the Israelites, this meant that they should consult their Patriarchs such as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
But how do we apply this to us today? A lot of us don’t come from a Judeo-Christian background or had simply stopped revering the insights of the followers of this tradition.
At this point, you want to consult the heroes of each worldview you think may have the answers to how life should be lived. Consult Jesus. Consult Mohammed. Consult the founders of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Consult the heroes of Atheism. See the fruits of their beliefs. Check if, for example, they could account for who we are, where we are going, our purpose, and what a good life is and how we get it. Go right to the sources. Do not consult the followers as they tend to modify and tailor things to their tastes, but to the sources, to the founders, and to the heroes. Remember that a false worldview does not get all the answers wrong. But, we should eliminate a worldview that fails to answer these questions or to provide an answer that explains the evidence. Also, remember that half-truths are as destructive as lies and deception.
Decide
“Then take it and find rest for yourselves...” (Jeremiah 6:16).
Neither over-confidence nor extreme doubt and skepticism will lead us to rest. Over-confidence leads to pride and pride to blind spots and blindness to complete confusion and disastrous errors. Extreme doubt leads to paralysis and hesitation. But life must be lived and until you make a decision, you are leading your life somehow. The question is, “what is that “somehow” based on?” Even though you choose to not decide consciously, you have already made up your mind in a subtler way. Life must go on. Therefore, it is best that you live life knowing what way you should take and why. Then, you will find true rest, not temporary numbness. True rest comes from finding the right answer to how we could lead a good life given our circumstances. Consequently, even when failures from yourself, others, or life’s inconveniences or catastrophes confront you, your steps remain firm; your awareness of a deep sense of rest stays unchanged.
Conclusion
Whether you believe in God or not, God's words of advice to Jeremiah are wise. We use the same framework in all of our important decisions daily. Knowing what a good life is and how to have such a life are the most important questions we should ask. Apathy prevents us from seeking this kind of knowledge. Our role is to seek true answers. Perhaps, you will encounter a God of peace and rest who is the way to such life.
*image is courtesy of https://pixabay.com/photos/globe-trotter-traveller-globe-map-1828079/