In Children There Is No Guile

Our Life
There is an uncanny and special innocence in children. I was noticing that in little Maddy yesterday as I was watching her laugh. There is no guile in her, that's for sure. As adults we are always trying to read between the lines. During conversations with friends and strangers alike, we are frequently asking ourselves about subliminal messages, context, body language, etc. It's impossible not too. I suppose that is a part of the human condition: the ability to communicate (and confuse) through the many tools at our disposal. Paraphrasing Bertrand Russell, we use language to hide our true meaning. His words ring true. Through our gift of reason, we are able to provide interpretation to any context. Yet, with babies who haven't reached a certain level of rational development, there is no need or room for interpretation. Babies act and react the only way they know how. Unfortunately, our adult complexity can inhibit us from enjoying their sheer simplicity. I had this thought as I was marvelling at Maddy's laugh yesterday. Mary and I were having lunch outside in a little Japanese garden. Maddy was seated in her stroller. She began to let out these deep-bellied chortles. She would perform one type of laugh, and then another, and then another. Each time she would laugh with the same intensity and love. She put her all into each of those laughs. Laughter for an adult can portray thousands of emotional shades. Adults use laughter to express joy, confusion, embarrassment, shame, love, humility, ignorance, intelligence, pain, insecurity, obsequiousness, superiority, inferiority, scorn, appreciation. The list can go to include almost every emotion. Philosophers tended to refer to the human species as rational creatures (creatures with a reason) or willing creatures (creatures with will). Some philosophers described the human species as risible creatures--creatures who are able to laugh. I am sure some anthropologist or animal lover will contest that they have seen animals or pets laugh. I am not ruling it out entirely, but laughter is a powerful, perhaps defining, trait. Yet Maddy's laughter was full of truth, full of life. There was no guile or room for subtle interpretation behind her laugh. She wanted to express to Mary and me her joy of being alive. She wanted our attention. She wanted us to share in her joy. That was why she continued to laugh. Babies can't fake it as adults so frequently do. I know that I can learn simplicity from her straightforward ways. Gosh: sometimes, life can be that simple.

Current Affairs Commentary
Standards control. Standards wield incredible power. Standards and thresholds shape reality around us. Whether we realize it or not, every product that we use, every morsel that enters our mouths, every piece of clothing we are wearing, has been regulated by tens of thousands of standards. Some of these standards are based on science, some on perception, some on cultural mores, some simply out of convenience. Tainted pet food recently shocked the US pet community. It seems that the pet food in question came from China. It was specious due to high levels of melamine. The NY Times states that "[t]he F.D.A. and other government agencies have since concluded that the melamine is unlikely to be harmful to humans, and that consuming meat from an animal that has ingested melamine does not pose a significant danger." Furthermore, "[w]hile melamine is not believed to be toxic, scientists now say that when mixed with another related chemical called cyanuric acid it can create a toxic substance." Scientists believe that 4,000 cats and dogs have died in connection to this tainted pet food. I think that standards are great and necessary for advanced societies, for well-functioning institutions, for trade and globalization. Harmonization and uniformity can enhance productivity and efficiency. I do want to highlight, however, that most standards ebb and flow in relation to the information available. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), along with a host of other US government agencies and international bodies, issue millions of new standards each year. Yet, these standards are constantly being revised. It's important not to focus exclusively on the standards themselves but to analyze the source and rationale for the particular standard. If melamine is harmful (which it may well be), how is it harmful, what levels make it harmful, etc. Political processes and the pressure exerted by powerful industry lobbies have resulted in skewed standards that don't necessarily reflect science or truth. An interesting example can be found in The Fluoride Deception, one of my recent reads. While not getting hung up on conspiracy theories that abound, reality is complex: challenging reality and common perception is a credit to ourselves and to the truth at large.

Quick Thoughts on Today's Gospel
Readings Today -- I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.
I don't know about you, but I have always desired some sort of direct revelation or direct connection with God. I would love to hear his voice. I would love to hear him speak to me, to tell me something personal and intimate, to shatter my world and my perceptions. Yet, do we really want that? Do we really want that level of intimacy and connection with God? Are we prepared for the ramifications? God has much to tell us, much to reveal. The mysteries of the Kingdom, the secrets of happiness, the ways of Truth. He is already speaking with us. The issue isn't whether he is speaking but whether we are listening. The first thing to listening to God is wanting it through strong and personal volition. The second step is being ready to have one's personal world entirely rocked. I doubt that I am ready to listen to all that God has to tell me. I am afraid to listen. I am afraid of what he will ask of me. I am afraid of what changes and repercussion his message will have on my life. True union and, subsequently, holiness is only possible through profound contact and communication with the Divine. He'll do the talking if only we will listen.