Especially in the second half of the century, we've become a society of gross spectacle, habitual voyeurism, casual immorality, entrenched cynicism and rampant nihilism. War was seen as the path to liberation, individual as much as national. Where once we found solace in faith, felt secure in the social order and were grateful for what existence sent our way, now the great urge is toward exultation of the self. Philosophers of the 19th century confidently announced God's demise. Ideologues of the 20th century showed us just how ghastly existence could be with a gaping hole in the soul.
Words are poor tools to convey a sense of the century just past.
But, like the New Year, the new century is a blank page. It's up to us to write words thereon that will redeem the worst of the 20th century. 1 Herald Sq., Boston, Mass. 02106. Doing so will help fund JWR, if so noted. He is also available as a guest speaker.