Mystery or Schedules

"Imagination does not breed insanity. Exactly what does breed insanity is an overdevotion to reason. " -G. K. Chesterton

Strange quote to start updates with, but this past week I have not been able to get Chesterton´s words out of my head. I am currently digesting "Orthodoxy" by Chesterton and I am finding so much of his novel is mirrored with my experiences here in Lima. Insanity, when I think about it, is a box that people are either put into or put themselves into. It is caused from an overdevotion to details; perhaps and obsession with acumulation, power, prestige, money, fun, love, experience, or perhaps a chemical disbalance in one´s brain. Whatever the cause, once one enters this "box" of insanity there is little or no chance for escape.

In America I see so many people on the television, on campus, my friends, even some of my own actions that, if continued, would lead to this, "overdevotion of reason." To some around me it is blatently an accumulation of power through title, friends, weath, and even experiences that ensnare. Once one starts on the track of building up your own image at the sake of everything else, little can be done to kill that beast. Trying to be "somebody" only promotes the temptation to further your own image as a body, but the problem is you are a soul and attempting to further the image of body over soul is sin. "build yourself up and be somebody" is a lie the world feeds us from our high chairs as we watch Sesamee-Street until we transition to watching Wall Street.

In Peru, the church promotes the building up of each other in Unity found through our equally dirty hands, constantly washing ourselves in Christ´s blood.

When I ride the combi from place to place I find myselff overly stresed if I am running late, but in Peru the common joke is not to worry about the time the watch tells you because Peruvian´s run on "Peruano Time" aka give or take 30 minutes on each and every end. I found myself questioning why I was so obsessed with this idea of time and realized because if I am late in to something in the States, it is rarely understood as acceptable. It either inconviences someone or disrespects them because they value their name enough to project it´s power upon this alloted time slot. But here, if you are late it is really 100% ok. Insanity or Reason?

Imagination is one of the reasons I love being in Peru. The mystery the desolate mountain´s hold, the beauty in the cold smog at night, the adventure of every dangerous Combi ride. For me and for Peruvians, these things do not die.

Imagination frees oneself up to be ok with accepting that you can not do it all, that mysteries must exist because if they did not, God would not be as powerful as he claims. What kind of god would he be if we could unravel all his mysteries by a mere 4-year degree at a college? But, thankfully, they do exist and for that we must praise God! His mystery and wonder is what imagination stems from. If it come not from the unknown and thus the creator of the unknown, it is not imagination; It is reason deduced from classes and books and harsh experiences. Imagination is a gift.

I love the mystery of Peru and am learning more daily to be ok with the unknown. Not because it is unavoidable (though it is) but because all that does exist, God rules. When I return to the states, I must try harder to stray away from the temptation of overdevotion to reason and the insatiy it spawns.

Imagination is sanity, and the two are both only found in our Lord.