Fantasy vs. reality

I've been wanting to share some nuggets from Mark Sayers's fantastic little book 'A Non-Anxious Presence' (which I need to read again already!)...

One key idea he raises (ch. 9) is the danger of churches allowing culture to pull us into a comfort zone mentality instead of a growth mindset. As he notes, we create comfort zones to keep the anxiety out, as well as to protect our autonomy (we don't want anyone telling us what to do). And, as he says on p.115, "At some point, the endless quest for freedom will run up against the boundaries of reality." Just look at how much money is spent in the modern cosmetic industry, even though reality says we're all going to age?!?

Sayers introduces us to Portuguese writer Bruno Macaes, who "argues that faced with the limitations of reality, the new American frontier is the frontier between reality and fantasy. For when our freedom runs into reality, fantasy promises us the possibility of expanding our freedom beyond its natural boundaries."

Or, as Science Fiction author Philip K. Dick sensed in the 1970s, how fantasy would shape the future of society and warned, "...fake realities will create fake humans... fake humans will generate fake reality and then sell them to other humans, turning them, eventually, into forgeries themselves."

Sayers says the endgame of such a process is the transformation of society into "a very large version of Disneyland." And...

"Furnished with fantasies, the contemporary comfort zone has become a different kind of stronghold, built not just to keep out anxiety but also to protect us from reality. Why? Because reality makes us anxious. We cannot shape our reality to our wishes. As a result, our faith in freedom and the power of our autonomy is shattered.

Fantasy has spawned false visions of life and leadership. Comfort zones furnished with fantasy develop fragile individuals, leaders, and organizations, as their fantasies are continually shattered by reality. A lack of connection with reality creates a lack of resilience..."

 

Think about it... "fake news" (which is controlled by a handful of people?), "social media" (which is anything but social), "Reality TV" - which brought us not one, but two presidents of this country (albeit the same person), "Artificial Intelligence" (which no one seems to want, but the powers-that-be are cramming down our throats), and so on, and so on, and so on...

Is there any hope?

Sayers says we need to embrace the "wilderness" -- the "gray zone" of the present time -- and look to God within it. "Wilderness" is a recurring theme in the Bible - seen as a terrible place without God, but the place of spiritual growth in His hands. As he says on 116, "The painful encounter with reality we experience in our gray zone moment opens up the possibility of encountering the deeper work God wishes to do within us."

While the days may look dark at present for followers of Jesus, and, really, society as a whole, Sayers urges us to "step outside of our comfort zones and break away from the grip of the myth that life is going wrong when we are not feeling good... (122)... "Comfort zones insulate us against growth; gray zones activate us into spiritual growth when we say yes to God's invitation to grow with Him."

 

I confess, it's easy for me to lose hope when so much of the world seems bent on this fantasy-island-life and makes so little sense... but it's all the more reason to lean into God (Father, Son, Spirit) and stay in the game with others trying to do the same. Because... fantasy life ain't real; and we are!