Beyond the Clouds by Fr. Jacob Nampudakam, S.A.C. | Page 23

One of the most wondrous experiences has always been the air travel from
Italy to Germany- especially Munich- in the wintertime. Rome, while it can get
quite cold in December and January, hardly lacks bright sunlight. Yet as we
soar above the Alps and their snow-covered peaks, the situation is not so.
Soon, the thickest of white clouds rest beneath the plane for its sojourn; and
when it finally pierces through them in its descent, we are faced with a
situation as cold as the runway’s concrete; rainy, windy, and dark. No longer is
there the bright sun and blue sky. How drastically different the situation is on
either side of the mountains! How- in only minutes- the same person is exposed
to entirely different situations!
It is said that these climatic conditions have a tremendous influence on our
personality and temperament. Often they are factors beyond our control,
though they still have definitive impacts on every aspect of our lives. Thus,
they are good to be aware of.
Likewise are there such huge mountains in our lives, too. Mountains which can
effectively block objectivity, as well as impartial perception and judgment. It
is said that “whatever is perceived is perceived according to the mode of the
perceiver.” Our emotions, affective memory, unconscious needs and conflicts,
prejudices, etc., are indeed Alpian mountains, that can obstruct sound and
objective perception, evaluation, decision making, and good judgment.
Consequently, then, we will also have the same experience of living in the
depths of the thickest clouds, not allowing even a ray of light to pass through.
The result? A pessimistic, subjective, depressive approach to reality.
One thing that certainly destroys life is chronic pessimism. It can be described
as the attitude of a defeated soldier; in whom there is neither the will nor
possibility to fight. At times, this can also be used as an excuse to avoid facing
the pains of life; it is abject surrender to a situation that seems too
overwhelming. We have abandoned the struggle! But in not facing the problem,
we are likely to be accompanied by depression.
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