Free-Will: Ultimate Illusion?

FREE WILL:  ULTIMATE ILLUSION OF THE MASSES?

We take pride in the advanced epistemological view that we are the Captains of our own ships; in command of the sail, rudder, and even the wind that takes us to the exotic destinations of our whims.  As the great masters of our own destiny, we live in the illusion that forces greater than us have no bearing on our lives; we alone have been responsible for the events of the past and strive to shape the events that define our present and our future.  It is a seductive and temporarily empowering illusion---To be free of dictates and directives, from man or gods, and to live as one sees fit. 

As “life happens,” a sense of aloneness and emptiness becomes the pervasive experience.  The world that was once there for the taking becomes a shrouded arena that creates opportunities to question the meaning and purpose of life.  Is this all there is to the vastness of the universe?  Are there no powers greater than those I create? As I look at the stars and my universal dome in the night sky, I experience “epistemic loneliness,” the awareness that I alone cannot crack the dome that encapsulates me.  The “seeker” of his or her own reality and creator of private destiny is now faced with the ultimate predicament: shouldering the burden of finding a door out of the private mental labyrinth.

For the philosophical seeker this illusion is a trap…like a carnival maze, the paths lead in a variety of directions, with the sense that freedom is just around the next corner.  But, inevitably, we are never free as the maze is our own created universe.  Seekers on this path must navigate the carnival mazes and roller coasters of life…ultimately alone.  Fortunately, there is an alternative.

From which direction my alternative came, or exactly when it happened, is questionable.  Yet answers to my philosophical ponderings on the meaning of life and who is ultimately in charge were unmistakable.  The “voice” came from within my spirit, but was not of my conscious creation…it was GOD. 

I needed a break from the mental gymnastics.  As I went out to run, the full moon beautifully rising on the horizon, the air was humid and still.  Perspiration soaked my running clothes and clung to my body.  As I stood recovering my breath, I was taken by the awesome moonrise and shouted out loud, “Thanks GOD for the wonderful picture you have created for me.”  I was sincere in my thanks and jokingly added, “But I’m hot as hell and could sure use some air!”  GOD has a sense of humor and answered, not in words, but by providing the most gentle and cool breeze across my face and steaming body.  It was as if HE was right in front of me with a hand-held fan cooling me down.  It was PERFECT. 

To those who espouse complete free-will, independently seek wisdom and adventure, and purport to be masters of their destiny, I offer my support and encouragement for I too was on that path.  But know that in your moments of distress, during the times when you feel ultimately alone, or when you wonder if there is more beyond yourself, you only need to exercise free-will and call for GOD to be with you.  He will be there, as He always has been, to provide comfort, direction, or passively observe as you follow the illusion of free-will.  The choice is yours.