The Convenience of Narcissism

Chapter Thirteen- Look Up!

When I was young, I would lie in a field behind my house at night and look up at the stars. If you have ever done this, then you know how amazing it is to gaze at such beauty. In today's world of endless distractions, such a simple pleasure is often forgotten. Modern science has given us so much background information about what we see when we look up at the night sky.

Most today who know anything about the cosmos will almost always deny the existence of an almighty creator to explain the wonders of the visible universe. There is, however, a massive contradiction in their fascination with all these things. Scientists in countless fields of research will spend the better part of their lives researching and cataloging the endless wonders of the cosmos. At times they will even use the proverbial Freudian slip of the tongue and use a word that requires a creator to make any sense. The word I am referring to is design. Now they will say that what they mean is patterns. Using this word doesn't change the contradiction. Both the words design, and pattern, require a mind to understand, but somehow mysteriously requires no mind to form or come about. As I have stated before, I'm not forcing religion on anyone. It is necessary though, to highlight this point because Job is in need of an answer to his dilemma and our visible universe will now be placed on the witness stand in the trial of free-will.

God now speaks up so that Job and his frenemies can hear. He directs Job's attention to many different aspects of the discernable universe. Constellations, along with many animal species are featured. Then God asks Job a pointed question: "Where were you when I made all these things?" What? Is God bragging about what he has done? Is the Creator actually vainglorious? It might seem that way at first but think about it. What better way to learn about a person than to examine their work? I personally find it amazing that scientists, who don't want to believe in God's existence can't seem to take their eyes off of his handy work. The more they learn the more they praise these wonders with their mind, over things that supposedly required no mind to make. Now there's a concept that takes faith to believe in! How convenient, but I digress.

Well, the visual display has the desired effect on Job. He began tearing up. He was greatly humbled by the experience and realized that he couldn't possibly see the big picture, but what he did see was too wonderful for words to describe. There are countless wonders in our visible universe. Before old Papa NARC decided to interrupt with his crazy ideas about free-will, the first couple had been left to begin examining these wonders, starting with the animals around them. There was an endless potential in such a zoologically based assignment, as was very clear to a now reticent Job.

That's all well and good but what about Job's situation? He has lost everything and was still suffering. How does looking up at the stars or examining the animals help his situation or answer the big questions that had been raised. Well, this action would help Job and all of us to embark on a journey to discovering a truth about the Creator that has blinded so many to his true nature.

As you explore the wonders of creation and discover the breathtaking design in the natural world you begin to discover wisdom, and balance, and so much energy. The narcissistic concept of: "Survival of the Fittest" doesn't answer certain seeming contradictions in cold existence, that can produce emotions such as love or compassion. We have all seen animals that will adopt a youngling from a different species. Quite an odd behavior for animals run by instinct. Solomon even commented on the wisdom in animals in his proverbs. These odd behaviors are far from the narcissism that many attribute to God.

Well, Job got better; his health was restored. His friends and family returned possessions that doubled his original wealth. He got back double everything he had lost, with the exception of his children. What did happen, is his wife bore him ten more children. There was just one thing Job had to do before God did all of this. He had to do the hardest thing a NARC could ever be asked to do. He had to forgive the men who taunted him with lies about God. He was asked to offer sacrifices for them and even pray for them. Job rose to the occasion and emptied himself of his proud inner NARC. It would appear that God was introducing a concept about forgiveness to Job, that Jesus of Nazareth would later teach in his sermon on the mount.

The end of his life was said to be better than the beginning. You may be wondering though, why he didn't get twenty children back as with everything else. To put it simply, it's because this story is not over. Every life matters, and every life is precious. Job knew his children were not lost forever to a God who had power over death. He knew a precious secret about his God. We will explore that secret in the last chapter of this book. For now, let's take a break from all this God talk and religion. We are going to take a closer look at something that may still be blinding us to the reality of this book.

We may have come all this way but still be stuck in the belief that everything we have been examining applies to everyone else. "They are NARCs. I'm not a NARC. This is all good advice for someone else, but I don't have that problem. You see, I have a quality that keeps me from being narcissistic. I know something you don't. I know that there is a different creature that is the opposite of a narcissist."

If this is how you are feeling right now, then the next chapter is for you. For those who are lost on what I'm talking about, please turn the page because some people think they are immune to narcissism. These people refer to themselves as empaths. You have probably been wondering when I was going to bring this up. Consider the possibility that some of what you believe about narcissism is not what it seems. Not to worry, we will get there, because time is on our side and empathy will be our guide.