The Gift of Transcendence

One of the themes that weaves its way through Dark of the Earth, my third novel of the Rhinebeck Quartet, is transcendence. Transcendence is “existence or experience beyond the physical or normal”. Transcend derives from the Latin transcendere, from (trans, across) and (scandere, to climb).

There is so much happening in the world today. Do you wonder what to make of it? I do. I think it is a truism that when power is being contested, there is conflict, division, and a great deal of maneuvering in terms of messages. Misinformation is rampant. This is certainly not unique to this time. From ancient Athens, to the Empire of Rome, to the American War for Independence, the French Revolution, the US Civil War, both World Wars, the Cold War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, 9/11, both Iraq Wars, the Ukraine War, each side attempted to win the approval of not only the public who supported, fought, and died in those wars, but any comparable power or state that could influence the outcome.

Case in point: Pearl Harbor brought a United States, which had been bent on isolation, into World War II. The action happened in the Pacific, but the more significant result was that it allowed the U.S. to declare war on Germany (as an ally of Japan) and finally take part in the European Theater of War where its entrance, along with the stubborn persistence of the USSR, proved decisive. This was the plan. Pearl Harbor was the means. The “surprise” attack and subsequent War Declaration also shifted U.S. public opinion away from staunch isolationism to an enthusiasm for war almost overnight. There is plenty of evidence to support this analysis, most of which has been revealed over the last fifty years, starting with the release of early U.S. codebreaking successes.

Each one of these prior conflicts were contests of ideology, economic dominance, and military strength, but ultimately tests of will, endurance, and persistence. In the end, it is always about intention coupled with maneuver and action. Today, the contests for our support or disagreement, approval or discontent continues, although by more modern media channels.

Living in today’s world feels like living in a crossfire, but what does one do? One can take a side. One can consciously object. One can even attempt to do nothing, but even a neutral stance can have consequences. It is how the game is played these days.

On a general level, survival has always depended on options. An option can be a choice that is available or a resource that can be used. One’s options are determined by the physical, social, and economic environments of which one is a part. The reason great wealth has value is that it provides opportunities (options) that others don’t have and can’t afford. The more options there are, the greater the number of choices and the better chance of survival in any situation. If that analysis is correct, then it must follow that the least likely to survive have the fewest options or none.

To that end, I offer an alternative, an option that anyone can choose. Seek to transcend in all things. Embrace a higher level of behavior, thought, and action. Be more compassionate, work toward more understanding, and ultimately embrace a higher standard of existence. Others will notice. Others will follow.

Transcendence is not the only option we have available, but I see it as one that’s often underappreciated. Speaking for myself, I wouldn’t overlook its value. To get out of a basement, one must use the stairs, even if it means taking them slowly one at a time. Just keep climbing.

Let us transcend together.