Transcendentalism -Transcendentalists believed that society and its institutions - particularly organized religion and political parties - ultimately corrupted the purity of the individual. They had faith that man is at his best when truly “self-reliant” and independent. It is only from such real individuals that true community could be formed.
When I first read Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer I couldn’t help but criticize the protagonist (Chris McCandless) and his decision to isolate himself from society and live in Alaska. The fact that Chris wants to live in such harsh conditions is already crazy enough to me. But he also severs all ties he has with his former relationships, leaving his family and friends utterly heartbroken.
But just when I started to come to the conclusion that this guy is insane, I started to find that some aspects of his transcendentalist life that parallel my own.
Transcendentalists don’t believe in the power of faith… And these last few weeks I feel like I haven’t been trusting God with what He has planned for me regarding my future, grades, relationships etc. (As always). Life to me, has become a constant struggle of getting through the day in one piece. And in all this mess, I’ve been putting God last and trying to wiggle my way through this world alone. I find myself giving into this lame philosophy of self-reliance. But I guess for you guys that have been following my blog forever, you know that this doesn’t always work out for me. If I’m not optimistic, you know there’s something wrong.
I talked to Riley yesterday cause I just needed to vent. The pressure on me to succeed was just too much for me to handle. Thank God for a friend that I’m completely comfortable crying in front of. I underrate this kid sometimes, but that’s another post. Anyway, he reminded me that my weakness ultimately pushes me towards God. It’s so true, I can’t live this life without being dependent on God. I’m not the one that determines my future it’s Him. Like seriously, it always blows my mind how I can completely put Jesus last in my life, but when I need Him, He runs towards me with open arms. His grace and mercy is just so amazing to me.
Matthew 11:28
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
Transcendentalists also believe in complete individualism. Individualism defines America. It’s been driven into our minds that we go to school to get higher grades than everybody else, go to a better college than everybody else, and then to make more money than everybody else. It’s a never ending cycle of competition (which I absolutely abhor). To me, there is no life in that. Life happens when you spend time with other people helping them become a better person than you are. It’s about putting yourself out there and seeing your friends grow in Christ. I’ve found myself in this trap of thinking that I’m gonna have a better life if I coop myself up in a classroom and study for hours on end. It’s not the score that counts, it really isn’t. The fact of the matter is that God gave me this opportunity to learn, not get an A. That A is useless if I didn’t learn something new about myself or something about the subject. It’s so worth it to do what you love rather than conform to this stress of competition.
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
I shouldn’t care about what gpa I get or what score I get on the SAT. None of that guarantees me into the college of my dreams. I want so badly for God to put me in a school where He wants me and where His glory can ultimately shine through my life.
