Longing

What is Good?
It haunts me.
What is Love?
It haunts me.
Will I live Them?
It dominates me.

The above was an attempt to take a snapshot of my deepest places. I don’t do so well with reading or writing poetry, but there’s something about it that taps into stuff that words don’t say too well.

There are definite longings that are unsatisfiable. Philosophers have noted it unceasingly. We see Plato straining towards his world of the Forms, malcontent with the material world that he lived in. Nietzsche’s nihilism exemplifies unfulfilled longing turned to bitterness, vainly groping at transient pleasures; believing there to be nothing “out there.” And then there’s angst, that much-abused word (thank you Kurt Cobain) representing a deep-seated anxiety and unsettled-ness used by Kierkegaard and many subsequent existentialists. This is, of course, but scratching the surface, but the point is that nobody questions this longing. The only question in dispute is thus: does this longing mean anything?

I would not hesitate to point out C.S. Lewis’ take on that question. A passage from Mere Christianity answers it as well as I could think:

Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feels hunger; well there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim; well there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire; well there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not mean that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing. (Italics mine)

I guess this is encouraging, right? When I feel dissatisfied, disillusioned and unfulfilled, that means that I’m dealing with the way that things really are. I was not made for this world. How could it fulfill me? I was made for God, and I want to enjoy Him forever.

(P.S. One of the ways that I channel my longings is in electronic music. I just finished a track called DGM. Click here and it’ll start streaming and there’s a way to download it there too)

3 responses to “Longing”

  1. Yo,
    Nice one.
    This thing of “longing” seems to be coming up a lot lately.
    I tried to listen to your track but it the server was uncooperative. I’ll try later.

  2. well maffew, what music is to Tony…the way i harass him, that is…so is poetry to you. you are a tremendous tremendous writer. i seem to remember a piece or two you shared with me, back in the days of bunker visitations, pans for good coffee and of course…jason and nikko. hehehe. you express yourself exceptionally. i think you capture the tension of every believer. the pain and the joy. thankyou. thankyou for being honest and taking the time.
    and let’s not joke around …you are a phenomenal teacher. love you friend.
    k

WordPress Default is proudly powered by WordPress

Entries (RSS) and Comments (RSS).