Monuments Versus Moments

“As time goes on, new and remoter aspects of truth are discovered which can seldom be fitted into creeds that are changeless.” ~ Clarence Day

I was listening to a sermon recently when the minister asked the question, “Are you busy building monuments instead of expecting moments?” This wasn’t the main topic of his presentation, but the question stood out to me. Monuments versus moments. It led to some introspection. Are you building monuments or expecting moments? Monuments to the past. Monuments to what you had in mind. Monuments to old ways of thinking. Monuments to old patterns. Or are you expecting moments? Moments of new revelation. Moments of new understanding. Moments of new blessings & new ways of thinking. We spend much of our lives on autopilot, never really questioning what we believe and why we believe it. Once we adopt a belief, we rarely revisit it to analyze whether it remains applicable based on the current state of our lives and the new information we’ve been exposed to since forming it. As a result, we build monuments to these beliefs solidifying their validity. But as we transition from season to season, there will be moments that will call our belief systems into question.

“Truth is never afraid of other truths. Being afraid that your truth may be faulty should be a concern, if you really think you have the truth.” ~ Aniekee Tochukwu Ezekiel

When you cause someone to question their understanding…the truth they stand under…results may vary. Some will calmly admit they don’t have all the answers, but then there are those who will lash out because their inability to provide a concrete answer will be too much to handle. They won’t appreciate having the foundation of their truth shaken. The inability to defend their position will lead to violence in some. They would rather attack you than attempt to explain why they believe what they believe. The thought of their truth not being the truth is too much to emotionally bear.

“Anxiety is treated by a search for certainty. And certainty – wherever we think we’ve found it – will lead to dogma. And wherever we have dogma, in time, it leads to rigidity. And that rigidity ultimately leads to idolatry.” ~ James Hollis PhD

When you’re rigid & inflexible, it makes it difficult to accept new revelations. No matter how sound they may be. Instability can be unsettling. Most people are uncomfortable with not knowing, and this discomfort leads many to grasp for anything that sounds plausible to make it their personal doctrine. It takes repeatedly coming to the same undesired conclusion for many to realize something needs to change. This is when they finally ask themselves, “What am I doing wrong? Why does this keep happening?” Unfortunately, some people never come to this conclusion. They would rather blame external circumstances than question if the problem is of their own doing. The purpose of this article isn’t to tell you what to think…but simply to make you think. Moments of clarity await you. That’s if you’re willing to set aside your monumental dogma to see things with a fresh pair of eyes. Eyes not shrouded in the darkness of old…and possibly incorrect…information.

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