Our world has so many voices calling people to do this, to do that–to vote for me, to vote against the other guy, to eat this or eat that, to watch this, to play that, to complain, to protest, to share, to like, to connect, to block–but not what to be.
But, who should I be? How should I be?
As an individual, how should I live out the moments and days that I have been given? From what vantage point will I examine my life and its meaning? From what basis will I make the decisions that face me everyday? How should I live?
Ezekiel 33:10–11, placed in the footer of each page of this blog, is there to ask this question and puts the burden of response on each individual to ask and try to listen for the answer. When the verse talks about our “evil ways,” it is easy to supply the definition of evil in one of two ways: “I don’t really believe in evil; isn’t that too judgmental?” or “Evil–yeah, that’s the other guy!” However, underlying the questions in this verse are some basic assumptions that this blog wants to take up.
EZEKIEL 33: 10, 11
Basic Assumptions
One basic assumption is that there are some things that are wrong and some that are right. For example, when we stand up against oppression or inequality, we are saying that we believe that “oppression” or “inequality” are wrong. Even to say, “I believe that you are wrong in telling me that some things are wrong,” says that you believe that some things are wrong. A huge question, however, is “How can we know the difference between what is the “wrong” thing and what is the “right” thing?”
Another assumption behind the statement in the verse is that things that are wrong are able to rot us. “Rotting” is a condition wherein something decays and dies. A dead thing begins to rot; or perhaps, the rot comes from something else, such as disease, which in turn causes death. In any case, the process of “rotting” is the process of death. Rot may not be ugly to begin with. In fact, rot might be visually undetectable at first. But, with time, rot will grow more and more unpleasant and very ugly. This is the natural process of decomposition, a breakdown of what “is” into something else.
This happens in the natural world as part of the normal cycle of life–a positive thing–and as such, we don’t necessarily see the implications of what this concept implies when transferred to the inner or “moral” life of a person. “Rotting” as a description of a person’s “moral self” is assumed in the verse to be a bad thing, a spiral of decay into ugliness and breakdown. Who would disagree, at least, in principle?
What can I do about it?
Again, let’s go back to the idea that everyone does believe in some kind of right or wrong. The point here is that “moral decay” has to do with the deterioration and breakdown in choices that lead to life or healthy values. Moral decay has to do with a decrease in knowledge of what is right from what is wrong–a knowledge of the values that most of us agree are necessary, even if we don’t agree what comprises them or how to ascertain them. How can we find those healthy values of right and wrong? What could they consist in? Again, the question, as rephrased, is “How should we live?”
Lastly, the verse suggests a way to turn back from the natural process of moral decay. (“Turn from your way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die?”) But to ask “Why will you die?” implies that there is a choice to be made. It implies that the process can not only be interrupted, but can be stopped entirely and even reversed. The verse shows two distinct states, “to live” and “to die.”
This blog has as its purpose to discuss this living and dying, the assumptions and the vantage point from which they are made, and the two questions of the verses, “How should we then live?” and “Why should you die?” However, one main assumption behind this blog is that these questions should be approached from a mind that does not say to itself, “I am the keeper of what is right and true. All those other people, who don’t vote, play, read, eat, think, act, sing, watch, think, or do like me, must be the one described as evil.”
Throw out those categories on this blog, as we examine our assumptions. See from a new vantage point. Ask ourselves questions. See our answers accurately. Ask questions without exempting ourselves from examination. If we don’t do this honestly, we won’t really know how we should then live.