What does it mean to take the longview? Pop psychologists and armchair mystics will say that it means “to not sweat the small stuff” or “to live in the moment.” While such advice can be appealing in a fast-paced modern society, it will cause us to simply bulldoze our way through life in a perpetual cycle of denial and indulgence. To take the longview must mean something deeper, namely, to see all the way to the end of things, not despite, but precisely through the things themselves. These flowers, sitting here on my kitchen table, signify the miracle of beauty. This daily task of washing the dishes reminds me of my creatureliness and the gift of life. Even the pressure and stress of my workplace point to the human vocation to conversion and transcendence. Let’s turn to Jesus, who is, in fact, the end of all things (Jn 19:30, Rev 22:13). Let’s learn to be attentive to Jesus in all that we say, think and do (Lk 8:21). Let’s take the longview with Jesus and never look back (Lk 9:62). Ave Crux, Spes Unica.
April 6, 2024
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