On a day when we will hear a lot of jokes about the end of the world, the end of the Mayan calendar, it’s worth reflecting on a deeper meaning.
Today is also the winter solstice. The shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. This is no accident. The Mayan’s timed their calendar to the movement of the sun, moon, and stars. This was created at least 1500 years ago. That’s a millennium before Columbus sailed into the west. What was essentially a stone age culture, with no telescopes, calculators, computers or even books, thought enough to project out the exact timing of the solstices for 15 centuries into the future.
Without attributing any attitudes or beliefs to those ancient people that I can’t verify, the mere fact that they created this calendar gives us something to think about…. Something to reflect on. How often do these quantities and measurements of time enter our consciousness? Does our civilization have a long count calendar? Of course, it’s the information age, anything is available if you look for it. Check out 3012: http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/index.html?year=3012&country=1 My birthday falls on a Saturday that year. You’re invited.
But do we really plan for the future in any meaningful way? If you want an example of how poorly we plan as a general rule, there is a great example in recent times. The Y2K bug existed because people couldn’t look 30 years into the future: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y2K.
We might put a little money away for our kid’s education, or retirement, but how often do we really contemplate the long term and how our actions today will impact future generations?
How will our descendants view us? Will we have descendants? The year 3012 will come whether we’re here to see it or not. What legacy will we leave, what foundation are we building?
Do we care about that? Or just the next version of the iPad or episode of Pawnstars?
This has been a special time of year for all cultures, as long as people have planted crops and marked the seasons. The Roman empire prior to Emperor Constantine dedicated it to the god Saturn, and had a week of partying and gift giving http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturnalia. It is a time when the sun is reborn and begins its rise in the sky. But whether you choose to celebrate Ra the sun god, Saturn the god of time, the baby Jesus, or a magic lamp, give some time to reflect on our responsibilities and priorities.
As we go into 2013, my hope for humanity is that we all make one resolution. That we stop and think. That means, before forming an opinion based on what some pundit on tv says, we take some time to look into the facts. When politicians appeal to emotions like fear and greed, we stop and look into the facts. That when we speak, vote, or spend, it is with a thought about the future, the long term future, not next month or next year. In the information age, ignorance is a choice, and in a democracy we get the government and the future we deserve. Unfortunately, it will be our distant descendants who have to deal with the future we create. Today may not be an actual Mayan Apocalypse, but are we sure we’re not planting the seeds for a long term, gradual one?
It’s all well and good to hear traditionalist remind us of ‘the reason for the season” and to “put Christ back in Christmas”, but instead of selfishly focusing on having the winning ticket to the spiritual lottery, where you get eternity in the lap of luxury if you bet on the right god. Think about whether we are leaving a heaven or hell on earth for people 500 or a 1000 years from now?
Will future generations bless or curse you? Do you care? Maybe thinking about that is a good reason for the season.
