How to Preserve Your Peace

one

Let’s begin with three vices that cause us to go crazy when the world goes crazy: the vices of curiosity, vanity and greed.

Wait, Curiosity is a vice? I thought it was a virtue. As a teacher, I wanted my students to be curious, and as a father, I want my kids to be curious.

The English word “curiosity” means an aptitude for wonder that motivates us to seek and grow in knowledge. That is a good thing.

Curiositas is the vice of investigating what does not concern you. It’s a rabbit hole. It takes you nowhere good. And it distracts you from the good things you should be doing and pursuing.  

Imagine a father or mother, wife or husband who can’t stop looking at the news, sports or social media on their phone and in the process neglects the people, the responsibilities and the good things all around them. Hard to imagine, I know.

The vice of curiositas makes our souls a mile wide and an inch deep. No depth of soul. We know a little about everything but we know nothing and no one well.

We have this idea that it’s good to be a “renaissance man” who knows something about everything. The phrase is used to describe Davinci. Well, Michaelangelo said to Davinci, “You never finished anything.” Because he indulged his curiosity but didn’t find any one thing worthwhile and commit to it.

The vice of curiositas causes us to be addicted to unimportant information or things that aren’t good for us because they distract from what we should pay attention to.

two

Vanity is the disordered preoccupation with self-image.

When the world changes suddenly, it becomes stressful to figure out what to do to stay relevant.

But if it doesn’t matter what people think of you then we don’t need to care what way the winds of change are blowing.

Magnanimity is the virtue that conquers vanity. It’s the virtue that causes you to pursue what is honorable rather than honor.

Aquinas said that what is honorable is what good men would admire rather than worldly men.

three

When the world changes fortunes are made and lost.

Greed is the disordered preoccupation with money and the things money can buy.

We fear that the world will change suddenly and we will become poorer. So we have a preoccupation. Ukranians and Russians are suffering and all we care about is the price of gas and the market.

We conquer greed by the virtue of simplicity.

How much do I need to live a good life, a life of dignity?

I need a roof over my head, food, good friends, knowledge, (for that all I need are good books or smart friends or both) maybe some exercise – just take a walk or do some push-ups. Oh and we need beauty – all that takes is a sunset or a good book.

You have everything. What are you afraid?

four

Now two virtues to save us from the changing world: leisure and prayer.

Leisure is to delight in the goodness of the world God created.

God created us to delight in the good world he created and when we do delight in or celebrate goodness of the world – we are at leisure.

If a person thinks there is no God and you are on your own in the world – a world that changes suddenly and drastically, then you won’t be able to delight in any good thing. Why? Because you know that everything is not headed to a good end but a very bad end – so how could you enjoy any one good thing?

It's like the absurdity of expecting a man about to be executed to really enjoy his last meal. The greatest feast in the whole world couldn’t distract him from the end he’s about to face.

But to have leisure you have to begin with the truth that a Good God created a good world and He is guiding all things to a good conclusion.

When we begin with this worldview – then this good thing, like a good book or a sunset or a glass of wine reminds me of that and I can delight in it and say to God – Thank You!

Leisure reminds us of the goodness of God, of the world and of the good end. So we delight in it and say Thank You.

five

The greatest way to remain at peace in a world that changes suddenly is to be a man or woman of prayer.

Prayer puts us in immediate contact with Our Father who is running this world and He is totally dedicated to your happiness. He thinks you are infinitely valuable, he delights in you, He is taking care of you and He is working all things, and I mean all things in the world for your greatest good. Therefore, we can be at peace!