Living Above the Fray

Every human being still breathing strives to live above the fray, up on the mountain top, above the clouds, where the air is clear and fresh and bright. We’d all love to leave the struggles and conflicts of daily life down below – where more is demanded of us than we’re prepared to give and what we do give, often goes unappreciated.

In our last meeting, we talked about our common desire to find personal happiness and whether or not that’s an achievable goal. Whether we find personal happiness in possessions, hobbies, our vocation, or expensive liquor, it’s always temporary. At some point, we have to trek back down the mountain and deal with people who disappoint and jobs that under-reward and doubts than relentlessly nag.

Believe it or not, personal happiness is not something I’m chasing. More than anything else, I desire to understand what I see around me – the individual struggles of my fellow travelers, the cultural chaos of our society, and the route to a better ending than we seem to be headed for. Sometimes at night, I dream of just sitting on the mountain top and contemplating the rivers and forests and civilization below. With all that quiet and peace, it seems like understanding would come easy. In my dreams, the mountain top is always warm and dry and comfortable. It never rains and my muscles do not ache from the long climb to the top. It’s always daytime and the freezing cold of high-altitude night never encroaches on my fantasy. Not surprisingly, great understanding never finds me there either.

Whether we’re ultimately seeking happiness, or understanding, or approval, or escape, at some point circumstances and nature force us to descend back into the fray. I believe above all else that this group has the potential to open up and help each other survive at low altitude. In fact, I believe that if we make it a priority, this group has the means to help each other recognize our blind spots and understand who we really are in order to excel and reach our goals down there amidst the demands of everyday life.

See y’all at the bottom on the 27th.

“The more clearly we recognize how deep our commitment to self-protection operates in our relational style and the more courageously we face the ugliness of protecting ourselves rather than loving others, the more we’ll shift our direction.”

― Larry Crabb