A wise man once
said "As often as I have been among men, I have returned home a lesser man."(Seneca,
Epist. VII)
A little review
may enlighten us more about this quoted admonition. An admonition that has hounded my personal efforts
at improvement all these years. The
reason being that indeed I have noticed that the more I go out of myself and associate
with other people, especially for reasons other than for worship or to
commemorate or memorialize somber events like wakes or other milestones, I
return to myself feeling lesser than the man that I was. That those occasions have instead contributed
to the loss of composure and focus on the things that count.
A time of earnest
introspection has then become necessary to make careful assessment or needful repair
caused by those unintended lapses, and which I now regularly adhere to. As a matter of fact, before attending to such
likely events if I really have to, I have had to prepare and condition my mind,
heart, and efforts, so as not to lose my focus and resolves.
Social interaction
has been a deep-rooted part of human nature, and as such it has greatly advanced
over the years, so keenly evolved that man now finds it almost second nature. Many now believe that he has to continually partake
of it to live a committed and fulfilled life. We are conditioned to believe
that it is in the company of other people that we find our way and salvation.
But referring to
our timeless design we are taught that this is not the case. While indeed it is a critical fragment of
human nature, it is supposed to be practiced only if in so doing man himself
derives benefits from it. That is its intended
design. As a tool for man to use for his
own salvation and to fulfill his deliverance.
The subject of abuse or over-use then could apply.
We have to learn to
navigate through them, and the ways are legion, to find which are beneficial and
which would be avoidable occasions that could work against one’s own
spirituality.
Community worship
clearly is on example of voluntary gathering where people come together for commendable
and inspired causes. Christ himself had
declared that where two or more of his devotees gather together in prayer He
will be in their midst. Thus, even
during these pandemic times this community practice ought not be curtailed and
ways should be explored where the faithful can continue with their faith
practices and worship.
A lot of other coming
together events however partake of pleasure and entertainment, and yes, mollifying
relief, for the masses, like sports events, live entertainment, or the ever
popular gatherings for gustatory delights, or even leisure travel. These are clearly voluntary social
interaction events that could work to the detriment of one’s inner peace and desired
solitude. While they provide temporary
relief from our everyday lives of boring routines and the attention to ubiquitous
problems of modern life, they could also open up to possibilities of over-use
to the point of satiation or ennui.
This is what is
addressed by that admonition about gathering together. It targets at being discriminating about
which ones could work against one’s own salvation.
