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Writer's pictureDr Sammy Joseph

Traditionalism, Existentialism, and Utopia

Updated: Feb 8, 2021



These are the three realms of human yearning — or learning. If those words are too big for your comprehension, just substitute each with: 'The Past', 'The Now', and 'The Perfect Future’  in that order. None could ever bring total satisfaction and peace to human yearnings and aspirations, according to the teachings of Jesus Christ. In fact, the Lord had vehemently denounced the common hypocrisy of the major players of His day — the Pharisees, the Scribes, the Sadducees, and the Lawyers, for upholding the “tradition of the elders” (Matthew 15:2) which were diametrically opposed to His Kingdom-ideals.


Traditions of men are handed down from generation to generation to be preserved and maintained as obtained. And while these may not be inherently bad, the danger is that traditions may become antiquated (out of date) when juxtaposed with modern culture, Existentialism), and thus necessarily be in dire need of amendments and changes! A school of traditional thought, for instance, that holds a race as six-tenths of the other in the slavery-era, is not only antiquated; it is demonic! The founding fathers, in this case, were the elders, so-called! They were men and not God.

Oppressive forces and agents of such were maximally confronted by the person of Christ Jesus in the days of His humanity. This was God, co-existing with humans so as to open the eyes of their understanding that they were engaged in spiritual warfare with an un-seen, diabolical enemy and eventually through the perception of the light of His knowledge, pave a way for their eternal redemption and salvation through the propitiation of His ultimate sacrifice on the old Roman cross!

Existentialism must not be coerced into a forceful co-existence with Traditionalism that is evil. Rather, it needs to be confronted with love, understanding, and dialog that results in an effective change that helps us not become polarized. Nor become neither the Stoics nor the stout Epicureans! We can always draw from the richness of our historical past to inform our decisions today since as humans, we do not know what the promise of tomorrow holds!

What of the ideals of the Utopian? And his/her aspirations on world peace?

Those ideas exist only in theory, in the mind of the non-realist. One who is daydreaming, UNTIL the day the era of the One foretold by the Prophet Isaiah as the “Prince of Peace” will arrive on His seat in Jerusalem! Until then, let our past moderate our now with love — that our neighbors may live, and let us live!


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