As the fire broke out in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on April 15, not only the French, but observers all over the Western world were shocked. This medieval gothic structure situated beside the Seine River in Paris is famous as a symbol of Christianity. Even more, it is a symbol of Paris and a monument to the culture and civilization of the French people. Many Europeans and Americans are not very religious today; indeed we live in a secularized world. Nevertheless, the burning of Notre Dame just before Easter has struck a deep note in the hearts of many people and has led them to reflect upon the meaning of culture and civilization. It is easy to criticize Western Civilization when we stand aloof from it and nitpick about its faults, but when we are visually confronted with the possibility of its destruction, we are suddenly struck by the realization of the void that its disappearance would leave behind – a void that the newest version of the iPhone could never fill. Culture is the basis of a civilization, and culture must be cultivated, not manufactured.
Just as the farmer must cultivate his land, the citizens of a society must cultivate their history and traditions. Culture is always the result of cultivating something, and therefore it always requires careful attention and patience. In The Villages, we see daily some plants that are annuals and others that are perennials, but we rarely think about the considerable difference between the two. As their name implies, the annuals complete their life cycle in one year, whereas the perennials have a much longer cycle. The annuals at the road intersections in our community provide a delightful array of colors and lift the mood as we are contending with the busy traffic. They are, however, of short duration, and so we regularly observe the landscapers ripping out the old plants and setting new ones. These annuals are like the iPhones and the latest gadgets at the supermarket. They are entertaining for a while, but they are short-lived. On the other hand, the perennials such as the trees and the shrubs around our houses provide a sense of continuity and stability in our lives. They grow and endure, but they require much more care and attention than the annuals. We must give them more nourishment for their growth and more protection from cold weather. These perennials are like the traditions and customs in our society. Our history and our traditions require careful attention and cultivation. Where nothing is cultivated, there is no culture. Where there is no culture, the civilization disintegrates.
The possibility that Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World could actually become a reality in our lives was vividly portrayed by the burning of Notre Dame. It would be a world without culture, a world where everyone is programmed to think and act in a certain way. It would be a world where everyone is “happy”, but where no one could imagine being happy in any other way. It would be a world without a past and without a future, a society whose roots go no deeper than the annuals at the intersections.
Critics will quickly point out the negative side of our history and traditions, and in many cases their criticisms are justified. My question to them is simply this: Who would expect a flawless history to be produced by flawed human beings? Our history and traditions reflect the undeniable imperfections of human nature. Should we eventually destroy these traditions and attempt to replace them with the political and social fads of the day, we will discover that these “annuals” are not only short-lived, but that they are marred by the same imperfections found in the “perennials”. In the long run, the “perennials”, i.e. the customs and traditions of our history, provide the better opportunity for constructive change because their roots give us stability and soundness of judgment. At least for the moment, Notre Dame has survived. It’s worth contemplating what that means.
To my Christian readers, I wish you a Happy Easter. To others who may read these words, I wish you a cheerful heart and a vision of a better day.
Villager Jack E. Brush is a regular contributor to Villages-News.com.