Life is often a slog. It’s easy to grow tired of the challenges we face and to revert to cynicism about everything. Never mind that magic and wonder are always in evidence. We in the West are especially prone to this tendency. Let’s cue Peggy Lee, circa 1968:
***
IS THAT ALL THERE IS?
Peggy Lee
SPOKEN:
I remember when I was a very little girl, our house caught on fire.
I'll never forget the look on my father's face as he gathered me upin his arms and raced through the burning building out to the pavement.
I stood there shivering in my pajamas and watched the whole world go up in flames.
And when it was all over I said to myself, "Is that all there is to a fire"
SUNG:
Is that all there is, is that all there is
If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing
Let's break out the booze and have a ball
If that's all there is
SPOKEN:
And when I was 12 years old, my father took me to a circus, the greatest show on earth.
There were clowns and elephants and dancing bears.
And a beautiful lady in pink tights flew high above our heads.
And so I sat there watching the marvelous spectacle.
I had the feeling that something was missing.I don't know what, but when it was over,I said to myself, "is that all there is to a circus?
SUNG:
Is that all there is, is that all there is
If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing
Let's break out the booze and have a ball
If that's all there is
SPOKEN:
Then I fell in love, head over heels in love, with the most wonderful boy in the world.
We would take long walks by the river or just sit for hours gazing into each other's eyes.
We were so very much in love.Then one day he went away and I thought I'd die, but I didn't,and when I didn't I said to myself, "is that all there is to love?"
SUNG:
Is that all there is, is that all there is
If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing
SPOKEN:
I know what you must be saying to yourselves,if that's the way she feels about it why doesn't she just end it all?
Oh, no, not me.
I'm in no hurry for that final disappointment,
for I know just as well as I'm standing here talking to you, when that final moment comes and I'm breathing my last breath, I'll be saying to myself
SUNG:
Is that all there is, is that all there is
If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing
Let's break out the booze and have a ball
If that's all there is
***
Faith in a better world to come is the antidote to Peggy Lee. Faith is Benedict’s business. But faith alone is rarely enough. And when faith is lacking, cynicism inevitably enters the picture. In the West, cynicism can be a comforting cloak. Why take it seriously? Why not think about the clowns and elephants and dancing bears? Why not let Jon Stewart explain it to you? Or why not let Mr. Dilettante explain it, for that matter. Snark can be very satisfying. If that’s all there is.
Alternatively, we can worry about the world we are in now. We can grow righteous about our sins and develop a catechism of rules designed to change the world. We can assert that global warming must stop, or posit a shadowy cabal led by evil Dick, or see everything through a prism of race or gender or class. And for some, the answer is jihad.
Jihad gives people purpose. In most of the Islamic world, conditions are such that improving one’s lot in life is, at best, problematic. Jihad promises a glorious war against an implacable enemy, with paradise on the other side. It’s easy enough for the West to dismiss the notion that Mohammed Atta and his pals were going to get 72 virgins after they crashed the planes. But if you perceive that you’ll get nothing and all the evidence indicates that your perception is correct, such promises appear more compelling. If I had a choice between scrapping with my countrymen over whatever Hosni Mubarak deigns to offer, or 72 virgins, I might see the path of Atta as the better path.
Benedict is offering a different path. Benedict is suggesting that faith, ground in reason, will lead to a better world. The predicate is where things get sticky. Can we have a reasonable conversation? Or do we choose idolatry and unthinking allegiances? Islam needs to have this conversation internally. But so does the West. No wonder why so many people see Benedict as an agent provocateur. We’d rather not talk about it. Let’s break out the booze and have a ball.
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