"I earnestly advise every alcoholic to read this book through, and though perhaps he came to scoff, he may remain to pray." (The Doctor’s Opinion)
One regularly hears people dismissing the world in its entirety by saying, ‘Well, what with the world as it is today’, as if awfulness were somehow new and becoming the norm. This desire for darkness is ubiquitous: dark television programmes, dark news, demonising of opponents, cynicism, broad brushstrokes. All of these are demonic.
Seeing the truth requires differentiation, discernment, the ability to judge degree, to see in perspective, to hold more than one thought in one’s mind, to spot the limits of one’s own seeing, to remain on this side of the line, and to recognise the distorting influence of information sources, whether individual or public.
Living in reality means complexity, significant withholding of both conclusion and moral judgement, and plenty of watchful waiting. Dismissal is easy. One might come to scoff but one should remain to pray.