Complexity – part 2

Let’s suppose that we identify complexity as a spiritual value, under certain conditions. And that complexity is especially important within the realm of the Via Transformativa (see yesterday’s DM). What does this imply?

A famous anecdote in Italian history regards an anti-communist politician who, at the height of the Cold War, reportedly said: “If it is raining, and the Communists say that it is raining, I will gladly be able to tell you that the Communists are right.” That seems to be the minimum requirement for human communication and respect, even between people who frankly disagree with each other.

But today there is hate, not disagreement, at the center of the stage. I am willing to go so far as to allow for hate to play its part. I am reminded of the Greek philosopher Empedocles (5th century BCE) whose penetrating cosmic vision allowed him to understand that Hate (Neikos) is just as important as Love (Philia). Hate produces Chaos, which is necessary to destroy the previous structures before giving way to Love and its production of Order, effectively ushering a new eon.

One of the effects of the present chaotic state, however, is our extreme reactivity. If Trump says anything, my first reaction is to say “No, it’s false.” Of course I have good reasons to react in such a way, as he has more often spoken lies than truths. But what if he is saying, “It’s raining today,” and it is, in fact, raining? It would be more accurate to assume from previous experience that when he tells a truth, he is already trying to manipulate it for his nefarious purposes. Not that every single sentence he utters is false.

A case in point, which is very important for those of us living in Europe, is the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Three years ago, the invasion of Ukraine by Russian armed forces found all European and USA liberals enraged on the grounds that the attackers and the victims of the attack should be treated very differently. The principle of territorial integrity was rightly named as one of the most sacred principles of modern politics, without which hell —that is, Chaos — may break loose.

Surprisingly, however, the principle of people’s self-determination— equally important in modern political philosophy — was not brought up. It was all but forgotten that in 2014 the Russian-speaking regions of Ukraine held a referendum which made it very clear that an overwhelming majority of people living in those areas wanted to secede from Ukraine.

In the years that followed, the Ukrainian army bombed their own people. This is information that is often dubbed as Russian propaganda. However, I watched with my own eyes several video reports that were broadcast in 2016 by the Italian public television and are unequivocal.

I was also able to speak with people directly involved in the conflict who found refuge in Italy. The brutality on both sides, before and after the invasion, is rarely reported in Western media and is appalling. There is nothing humane or fair about this conflict. I have direct information of Ukrainian soldiers tasked with ambushing and torturing their counterparts to death.

At this point, three years after the invasion, there is no interest by the EU authorities in finding common ground with Russia. Only the Vatican continues to pursue a diplomatic solution. The Ukrainian crisis has become the reason why Europe “must” pursue a strong military upgrade, reaching 5% of GDP for weapons and army expenses, buying missiles and jets mostly from the USA. We are told that we must defend ourselves from Russia’s imperial ambitions.

The Ukrainian war has become very productive for the merchants of death. Its continuation is predicated on the assumption that it is impossible to find any agreement with Putin, and Russia is ready to invade Western Europe.

These ideas don’t stand up to reasoned debate, and mix moral and religious categories with political categories. Putin is a bad person, but he is not stupid; the invasion is illegal, but it’s not Armageddon. In no sense could Russia profit from invading Western Europe or rule it directly or indirectly. It is simply absurd.

When Russia invaded Ukraine, I engaged in a FB fight with a bishop of the Episcopal Church, who posted with approval a picture of “Ukrainian mothers” ready to pour boiling oil over the heads of the Russian soldiers marching in their streets. I objected that the Russian soldiers are for the most part young men who have no options than going to war or being killed, and they also have mothers. I was scolded as only bishops can do to priests — it’s a special thing, I assure you — but he ultimately took off his post. This is an example of extreme simplification that plays the game of Hate, rather than observing its damage and accepting, to some extent, its present rule.

I think that we who are spiritually aware have a great task in the present moment. Keep complexity alive. Understanding that any war has complex roots and people who want to profit from it on both sides. Supporting diplomatic solutions always, knowing that both sides will lose something in the process, to gain peace.

We prefer simple explanations to complex political and historical problems because we are overwhelmed, and feeling right sometimes gives us a sense of control that is so badly missing in the present chaos. Even so, I think that we are called to let go of our need to control the situation, accept the chaotic complexity of our time, and root for the basic values of our common humanity and for nothing else.

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Banner Image: No Man’s Land after the Battle of Bakhmut, Ukraine, 2022. Photo by Viktor Borinets, Ministry of Defense of Ukraine on Wikimedia Commons

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Queries for Contemplation

Do you have examples other than the Russia-Ukraine conflict in which complexity shines as a spiritual value?

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Related Readings by Matthew Fox

The Beloved Will Guide You: St. John of the Cross and the Triple Dark Night of Our Times – available for preorder

TRUMP AND THE MAGA MOVEMENT AS ANTICHRIST: Recognizing the Archetype of Evil in Our Time – available for preorder

The Tao of Thomas Aquinas: Fierce Wisdom for Hard Times

Order of the Sacred Earth: An Intergenerational Vision of Love and Action

A Spirituality Named Compassion: Uniting Mystical Awareness with Social Justice

Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and Society

Occupy Spirituality: A Radical Vision for a New Generation

Prayer: A Radical Response to Life

One River, Many Wells: Wisdom Springing from Global Faiths

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