A ha!

I have blogged and discussed and thought about sadness a lot in the past few years. Why are people so sad, why are so many depressed - what is normal sadness and when should you seek medical help. With the aid of Bono (U2) I think I finally understand something about peace thus about sadness.

I heard Bono say "Have the Peace that passes understanding, but do NOT be at peace with the world."

Let me flesh out my thoughts....

We should have a general sense of well being - the peace that passing understanding. The peace we cannot glean from anywhere - it is given us from The Father. But it is not a peace that leaves us happy - feeling good - feeling even keeled. It is a peace that passes understanding - that is there no matter what is going on, not matter what anyone says or does.

Not being at peace with the world says to me - there is much that should pain us, there is much that makes sense for us to feel sad, angry or upset about. Poverty, sickness, lack of justice.

I think "society" tells us that we should feel good all the time - that if you don't feel good you have find that which is pulling you down and get rid of it - whether it be a person, fat, money, lack of money, a boss - whatever . But we should not feel good all the time - there is much to be angst ridden about - I think this is why a lot of art is sad or angry....Often an artists is a person who is not at peace with the world and has to get it out some how - thus we have the Bonos of the world, the Bruce Cockburns, the Indigo Girls....

So I feel like I understand and appreciate something about myself and many other people - about the balance to look for between having the peace that passes understanding and NOT being at peace with the world...saying it is not only ok to not feel happy all the time but if you do, you are most likely not living honestly or in touch with your world....this was my Aha.