The Mystery

The Mystery is at once the reason for and the bane of our existence. It can be defined as many things. For some, it is the question of life after death: where do we go after we die? And to many, the answer can be found in religion. In the Christian faith, for instance, practicing individuals believe that after they die they ascend to heaven to be with God; some say this occurs immediately, others at the end of days, but the eventual result is the same. Heaven for many is a kind of paradise, free from violence and earthly constraints. "They shall not hurt and destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea . . ." (Isaiah 11:9, Anthology 709) To ancient civilizations such as the Greeks, the Mystery resided in the gods and the Underworld. Each civilization has had their own interpretation of this great mystery. But one thing is for sure: there will never be a single answer while on Earth.T

That's the point, though, isn't it? We'll never truly know, because the mystery isn't about where we go after we die, or even necessarily what we believe in. The Mystery envelops our entire existence. Who are we, and why are we here? What is our purpose? The joy is not is finding an answer, but in asking the question. "As long as we go on feeling this mystery we feel free and full and happy and we feel and act free and full and happy to others." (Anthology 730) There is great joy in acknowledging that we don't have all the answers, and are not intended to. There are things we'll never know, and that's a wonderful thing. Believing in the Mystery allows you to be inspired, and to believe in something greater than yourself, whether it is a specific religion, or simply in fighting for a cause for which you feel passionate. The Mystery allows us to go beyond what we believed we could do, to accomplish what before seemed impossible. And its the not knowing that really fuels us. "The need for mystery is greater than the need for an answer." (Anthology 723)

But there's a flip side to all of this. For many of us overachievers out there, knowing is about control. We want to make plans, to accurately predict and map out our future. We simply aren't comfortable with leaving a question unanswered. We realize that when we try, we lose a small piece of joy or contentment each time, but we can't help ourselves. There should not be any mystery we can't solve. "I've never seen anybody really find the answer--  they think they have, so they stop thinking." (Anthology 732) We're eventually left with an empty husk, which is filled up by the perceived expectations of others, or our professional ambitions. We put ourselves above the mystery and try to forget we have no control. How narcissistic.

In realizing this about myself, I've been trying very hard recently to reclaim the joy in life, and not be so dictated by what I want or where I want to get. I'm forcing myself to remember, as much as I can, that I am not the center of the universe. Two experiences this year have really helped me work on my self-destructive nature: this class, and my involvement with Texas 4000. I've learned the value and the joy that comes form service. the feeling of true empathy, and that relinquishing control makes life so much better. I hope I can continue along this track, and one day be an example for others of the contentment the Mystery brings.

p.s. to Professor Bump. I want to make sure you know that while we have recently in this class had issues, that I think we don't yet realize how valuable a class this has been. I will probably never have an experience like this again, and I will be extremely sad when it is over. Thank you for all you've done for us. It has changed us all for the better.