Hail Aetolians. Today I share with you my second sermon, and again
encourage any written debate you have.
May Hope flow through all within the Cycle

Community and self-indulgence

We are the center. In each of our minds-some may call it arrogance, or
selfishness-we are the center, and the entire world moves about us, and
for us, and because of us. This is the paradox of community, the one and
the whole, the desires of one often in direct conflict with the needs of
the whole. Who among us has not wondered if the entire world is no more
than a personal dream?
I do not believe that such thoughts are arrogant or selfish. It is
simply a matter of perception
we can empathize with someone else, but we cannot truly see the world as
another person sees it, or judge events as they affect the mind and the
heart of another, even a friend.
But we must try. For the sake of the entire world, we must try. This is
the test of altruism, the most basic and undeniable ingredient for
society. Therein lies the paradox, for ultimately, logically, we each
must care more about ourselves than about others, and yet, if as
rational beings we follow that logical course, we place our needs and
desires above the needs of our society, and then there is no community.
I have seen Bloodloch, city of the outsiders, city of self. I have seen
that way of selfishness. I have seen it fail miserably. When
self-indulgence rules, then all the community loses and in the end,
those striving for personal gain are left with nothing of any real
value. Why do you think Bloodloch is all locked up and hidden away?
Because everything of value that we will know in this life comes from
our relationships with those around us. Because there is nothing
material that measures against the intangibles of love and friendship.
Thus, we must overcome that selfishness and we must try. We must care. I
saw the truth plainly once when my wife and I were cornered by a cruel
spider demon. My first inclination was to believe that my silly
curiosity had brought us into the predicament. Upon learning that this
particular demon was wandering her halls mercilessly, and it was not my
fault that my dearest Asynth and I were facing peril, gave me more heart
for the fight.
Why was this? The danger to me was no less nor was the danger to Asynth
or any others about us. Yet my emotions were real, very real, and I
recognized and understood them, if not their source. Now, in reflection,
I recognize that source, and take pride in it. I have seen the failure
of self-indulgence. I have run from and ever battled such a world. I
would rather die because of a spider demon's cruelty than have Asynth
die because of my quests. I would suffer physical pains, even the end of
my life. Better that than watch one I love suffer and die because of me.
I would rather have my physical heart torn from my chest, than have my
heart of hearts, the essence of love, the empathy and the need to belong
to something bigger than my corporeal from, destroyed.
They are curious things, these emotions. How they fly in the face of
logic, how they overrule the most basic instincts. Because, in the
measure of time, in the measure of humanity, we sense those
self-indulgent instincts to be a weakness, we sense that the needs of
the community must outweigh the desires of the one. Only when we admit
to our failures and recognize our weaknesses can we rise above them.
Together.

In service
Schmendrick, Essence of Hope

Penned by my hand on the 17th of Lanosian, in the year 102 MA.