[{"id":2772,"order":0,"imagePath":"https://admin.ezystream.com/static/images/article/84337dd4-2bda-4b9e-99de-7130870f0542.png","type":"image","content":"https://admin.ezystream.com/static/images/article/84337dd4-2bda-4b9e-99de-7130870f0542.png"},{"id":2773,"order":1,"contentText":"At high school I remember studying The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. Written post-WWI, it reveals the fragmentation and devastation caused by the Great War. In particular, it reflects the disillusionment felt by many during that time, a world view known as modernity. (Disillusionment: a feeling of a disappointment resulting from the discovery that something is not as good as one believed it to be.)
As I studied the novel more, and started to think about my life, I realised that this feeling hasnu2019t been lost in this post-modern period. I have had numerous encounters with this sense of disillusionment. Most instances are small: when a concert doesnu2019t live up to all the hype, when a holiday doesnu2019t bring the joy and excitement hoped for, or even when a new series of a TV show doesnu2019t rank up to its previous ones.
But what about those greater, more sinister feelings? What about feeling disillusioned with life itself? In truth, there are times when my own life seems so mundanely unsatisfying, where the beast of disillusionment rears its unsatisfactory head. I can imagine Iu2019m not the only one who struggles with this.
Hyperreality
The thing is, to experience disillusionment, you have to, at first, experience expectation. I canu2019t help but feel that societyu2019s expectation of reality or u2018real lifeu2019 is so dangerously inaccurate.
We live in a world of technological and media abundance. Every day we are sent messages and images that impact and inform our perception, our lens, in which we view the world. When it comes to u2018real lifeu2019, we are sold this idealistic life of perpetual excitement and adventure.
Social media? Whenever I scroll through, say, Instagram, I am flooded with photos of people u2018living their best lifeu2019u2014out on adventures, at parties, with friends. You never see the moments of boredom, anger, frustration or sadness; all you get is the highlights package.
Life depicted on social media is filtered and carefully constructed. What we see isnu2019t that personu2019s u2018real lifeu2019; it is only aspects theyu2019ve chosen to share. But yet, we very soon believe in this false reality and start to compare our day-to-day with another personu2019s highlight reel.
This is a great illustration of a term called hyperreality. Hyperreality, as defined by John Tiffin, is u201can inability of consciousness to distinguish reality from a simulation of reality.u201d1 Social media, and many other forms of media, donu2019t provide a mirror image of reality. Instead, it takes an aspect of reality, alters it, augments it, manipulates it and then packages it and advertises it as truth. Like an artificial flavouring, what we see in the media is merely a simulation of reality rather than the real thing. Before we know it, our expectations of u2018real lifeu2019 start to become informed by this u2018false realityu2019 instead of the reality itself.
And then when our lives, naturally, donu2019t compare to this false reality, we become disillusioned.
Looking to the Bible
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance.
(Ecclesiastes 3: 1-4)
Here is what Ecclesiastes says: life isnu2019t this perpetual state of wonder and adventure as the media tries to convince us it is. Life can be boring, painful and stressful at times. But, does that mean there is something we are not getting? Something that weu2019re not doing right? Certainly not.
This world of the photographs, where u201cour eyes are never closing, hearts are never broken and timeu2019s forever frozen stillu201d, well it does exist, but not here. There is a world where u201cthere will be no more death or mourning or crying or painu201d (Revelation 21:4); itu2019s called heaven. Yet that world doesnu2019t exist here and now.
So why doesnu2019t God give us this life now? Why allow us to suffer through pain, boredom, and disappointment?
Well, if being a Christian meant life suddenly became perfect, we would follow Jesus not because of who he is, rather for what he can do for us. He would no longer be the end, the prize. If Jesus was this magic formula to happiness, then we would treat him, as Mike Donehey says, like u201cthe means to some other end.u201d2.Jesus would start to become a proxy to happiness and joy instead of a source for it.
Iu2019m starting to realise that real life isnu2019t the same as in the movies or the Instagram accounts. Real life, reality, is full of adventure and wonder but also full of pain and boredom. Letting go of my false and distorted expectation of it frees me from the disillusionment.
It allows me to focus on finding my joy in Jesus and Jesus alone, not the circumstances or the things that Jesus brings about. He is the end; he is prize and, Iu2019m learning u2013still learningu2014that having a relationship with Jesus means I have everything I need to be content in every circumstance of life.
u201cYou, LORD, are all I have, and you give me all I need u2026u201d (Psalm 16: 5 GNB).
Sure, other things may extend my happiness, but they certainly wonu2019t be the core reason for it. When our joy becomes solely rooted in who God is and not what he brings us, I think that is when we start to transition from disillusionment to contentment.
u201cI consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord u2026u201d said the Apostle Paul (Philippians 3:8).
I guess Paul was onto something.
Story: Matthew Thornton
Matthew is studying at the University of Auckland. He finds that writing is one of the prime ways he connects with and grows closer to God. He loves seeing the way in which God has wired everyone uniquely and finds immense fulfilment in seeing others discover who God is to them. He would love to hear from you.
This article was originally published by Christian Today and is used with permission.
References:
- Tiffin, J. and Terashima, N., eds., HyperReality: Paradigm for The Third Millennium (London and New York: Routledge, 2001).
- Mike Donnehy, The Over and Underneath Journals, Tenth Avenue Nation, EBL edition, ch. 6.
Photo credit: Caleb Van Essen
Scripture: All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Versionu00ae, NIVu00ae. Copyright u00a91973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.u2122 Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The u201cNIVu201d and u201cNew International Versionu201d are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.u2122
Scripture quotations marked GNB: Scriptures and additional materials quoted are from the Good News Bible u00a9 1994 published by the Bible Societies/HarperCollins Publishers Ltd UK, Good News Bibleu00a9 American Bible Society 1966, 1971, 1976, 1992. Used with permission.
","type":"text"}] 
