Where Are We Now and Where are We Going?

Camron Momyer November 22nd, 2020

You ready for the truth? I DON'T KNOW. And if someone tries to tell you they know exactly how its all going down... you might want to get intel from other sources. Right now, millions of Americans who have had a near-religious fervor for the promises of the chat forum known as Q-Anon are feeling a little confused. You see, they were promised that Trump would win this election. When it became clear that Joe Biden would be the actual winner, I was surprised by my reactions. First, I felt enormous relief... but I certainly did not feel like celebrating. Because I also felt the utter dis-orientation of the millions of Trump believers as the spell of those Q promises went poof. (To be clear, I'm not lumping all Trump believers in with Q Anon. There are many reasons people support him.) It reminded me of my first existential crisis as a religious studies major when I realized that Jesus was perhaps only one way rather than the way. Fresh out of Young Life, at that time, this realization caused me to feel utterly untethered. The way I had oriented myself in the world up until that point was no longer valid. The discomfort, confusion and grief, for a time, was almost crushing. So I get it, Q people. We all want to think we have the right map. We all want to think we're the ones who actually know what's coming down the road next. There are two things I want to say about this so I have a couple of sub-headers for you: 1. White Knights are Not Reliable. One of the central promises of Q was that Trump, despite all outward appearances, was the good guy, secretly removing dark forces keeping our world at war and in poverty. This is enticing because it means there's someone else we can blame for the messes we see. It means all we have to do is get rid of those people making the messes and voila: Utopia! And Trump is totally taking care of it. White knights are the best, aren't they? They do all the heavy lifting of freeing us from enslavement so finally, we can live the fairy tale we deserve. If only they were more reliable. Here's the problem with this scenario: Its a little like waiting for someone to let you out of your shackles when the shackles have always been unlocked. Even if someone else does unlock your shackles for you, they can't make you take them off. And finally, you can't free other people if you've become too attached to your shackles. Global freedom has to start with you. Notice for yourself.... what are you waiting for so you can stop feeling scared? What are you hoping will change so you can feel happy? What global problem needs to be fixed before you can feel at ease? I'm not even commenting here on the truth or fiction of the existence of an evil cabal. I'm not making judgements about the badness or goodness of the big T-Man. As my friend Kacey said to me, "I believe in a lot of weird sh** so who am I to judge?". I don't care what you believe as long as your beliefs empower you to stand in your freedom boldly. Are you waiting for permission from someone else to feel free? If you are relying on outside things for happiness then you'll be leaking life force from your third chakra the way my old Subaru leaked oil from the head gasket. Its not sustainable. So, if you're getting upset about your rights being taken away because you have to wear a mask in Costco...you might want to get curious about that. How fragile is your freedom that it can be threatened by a piece of fabric on your face? Finally, if you need an example of a free person, I highly recommend the new film about Ram Dass called Becoming Nobody. Its really funny and it will restore your faith in the goodness of humans and this crazy experiment we call life. For that, $4 is a very small price to pay. So just do it. 2. Make a Map that Can Change. I don't believe that religious or spiritual faith is a crutch for weak people. Faith is a necessary piece building a Self. Belief is a map that allows us to make meaning out of utter chaos. The problem with most of our maps is that they become rigid when they're meant to flex and change as we discover new terrain. C.S. Lewis famously said that he preferred "ideas" over "beliefs", as ideas are easier to change. For many of us, the pandemic, the politics, the protests, etc. have utterly annihilated our maps. A lot of beliefs (conscious and unconsious) are coming into question. This is a good thing! AND, if your map isn't designed to adapt, it can be very uncomfortable. So I don't blame anyone who isn't practiced at map building for quickly clinging to the first map that seems complete. But here's what I've learned after at least three devastating overhauls of my own GPS system: -Its OK to be untethered for a while. -There is great value in floating for a time. -There's no need to grasp or cling. -When you stop thrashing you'll find you've always been held. What I find every time is that I don't need as many points of reference on my map as I thought I did in order to find my way. The fixed points on my map are fewer and fewer the older I get. So good luck on the journey and if you find that white knight tell him I said hello. We still haven't met. p.s. Kudos for reading to the end. Thank You, Camron