A Matter of Perspective

"The world is too big for us, too much is going on, too many crimes, too much violence and excitement. Try as you will, you get behind in the race in spite of yourself. It's a constant strain to keep pace... and still, you lose ground. Science empties its discoveries on you so fast that you stagger beneath them in hopeless bewilderment. The political world is news seen rapidly, you're out of breath trying to keep pace with who's in and who's out. Everything is high pressure. Human nature can't endure much more."

~ Atlantic Journal, June 16, 1883

Can you believe it? This was written more than 120 years ago.

For sure there are pressures on us all. For many, it is simply the weight of responsibility. For others it may be the difficulty of living under a tyranny. How do we deal with it?

Everyone needs a safe harbor, a place to get away. A place to find rest when weary. For some, getting back to nature is a wonderful escape. Others find refuge in their hobbies. For many, relief is found in their faith. Christians, for example, find comfort in the words of their Lord when he says, "Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

It seems almost comical when the writer from the Atlantic Journal states, "Human nature can't endure much more." It depends, I would suggest, on where you are sitting.