November 10th, 2021
Think by way of example on the times of Vespasian, and you’ll see all these things: marrying, raising children, falling ill, dying, wars, holiday feasts, commerce, farming, flattering, pretending, suspecting, scheming, praying that others die, grumbling over one’s lot, falling in love, amassing fortunes, lusting after office and power. Now that life of theirs is dead and gone … the times of Trajan, again the same …
Today's reading brought me sadness. The content was simple and true. It as also humbling this particular year.
The year 2020 has been unique and tragic. The reality is that this is just another year. We as a human civilization continue to do what we always do. We live, laugh, fight, cry, die.
We want to believe that this year has brought us more strife than the decades before them, but the truth is we are simply repeating history once again.
This is a type of acceptance that is sad but comforting. While we may want to believe we are at the apex and that the sum of all of our lives will teach the next generation to be better, the truth is we are just repeating the sins of those before us. We are no worse or better.