Depending on where you are, you might have quite a bit of snow by now. And if you’re going to make a snowman, make sure you get it right. Otherwise, you could get in trouble, just like this unfortunate man:
The Story Goes:
It snowed all night. I made a snowman at 8:00 in the morning.
8:10 am: A feminist came by and asked why I didn’t make a “snowwoman.”
8:15 am: I made a snowwoman.
8:17 am: Another feminist neighbor complained that the snowwoman represents a sexual object and a precedent for all snowwomen worldwide.
8:20 am: A gay couple across the street begins to complain, wanted two snowmen instead of one.
8:22 am: A Transgender man asks why sexual parts aren’t detachable.
8:25 am: A vegan who lives down the street comes to explain that the carrots I have for their noses are no joke – that it’s food, not ornamentation.
8:28 am: I’m accused of being a racist because the snowman and the snowwoman are white.
8:31 am: A Muslim across the street demands that a snowwoman wear a burqa.
8:40 am: Police arrive following a report that someone has been offended.
8:42 am: The feminist returns and demands that the snowwoman take the broom out of her hand, as this assumes housework.
8:45 am: A TV news reporter comes out of a van and asks me if I even know what the difference is between a snowman and a snowwoman. I said ‘snow balls’ and was tagged sexist, terroris, rasist and in general a troublemaker.
9:10 am: The police ask me if I had any help with my actions. Social services take the kids.
9:29 am: Extremist protesters march and demand…
The lesson of this story? There’s no lesson. This is today’s world.
Back to Reality
Okay, the above is just a joke that’s circled on social media and I just had to share it with you. But jokes usually reveal at least some truth about our society.
A simple man can quickly feel like an bull in a china shop these days. ‘What can I say? What can’t I do? Who did I offend? Who was hurt?’ Then, he wonders what’s so different today than it was 20, 30 or 50 years ago.
The fact is that, as a society, we are becoming more and more individualistic. I know the thought is ‘worn out’ and I haven’t said anything new. But wait.
The Storm Inside Us
I don’t think the problem is so much that we are individualistic in terms of mutual relations (though that’s also true). I mean individualistic in terms of our expectations.
We believe that we have the right to live in a world that is tailored to our expectations. That is to say, according to our beliefs and moral values. And for these rights, we are willing to fight, sometimes at all costs.
We are confident that we will be able to feel good in society but only if it is set to our standards as they already are. In doing so, we forget that our well-being (happiness, if you prefer) depends not on external circumstances, but on our own internal reconciliation – reconciliation with ourselves.
A man who is not happy with himself will often direct this discontent outwards, into society. He turns his pain and inner separation into something very justifiable. Then, he imposes his agression on others who don’t feel the same way.
He tells himself that all of this is for the sake of society, for the sake of the people, and sometimes even in the name of God. How wrong he may be and how very extreme his actions are, this is a great barometer of how (un)calm he is with himself.
Peace Within Comes Before Peace Without
Is there something wrong with someone fighting and setting up for their values? Of course not.
I think it is right to stand up for the good in the world, for a fairer society, for people from the periphery, and for equality. We set up Operando for these purposes. It is right that we draw attention to this and look for solutions.
But fighting for our values doesn’t always mean fighting against other people. Let us not fight war outwards until we achieve peace with ourselves.
Let’s remember Jesus. If He wanted these kinds of revolutions, He’d have started them 2,000 years ago when He was on earth.
