"Love in the Ruins"

  I seem to have remembered reading a book by Walker Percy called Love in the Ruins, back when I was in my 20s. Though I can't quite recall the gist of the idea that Percy wanted to impart, I think that he was trying to suggest that people are most passionate in the moment when they are the least pressured to live up to the aspirations of their civilization. Hence--love in the ruins. But of course, Walker Percy was a Catholic, and no doubt, the symbolism he wishes to impart is far deeply Christian in the sense of seeing the broken Christ "in the ruins" as the consummation of human love and salvation. One would think that the consummation is the mastering of the many laws of God as mentioned in the Old Testament. But the paradox here is that it is precisely in human imperfectability--in sin, in brokenness, or in mortality--that humans can find their salvation and ecstasy. 

     And why is that? I think it's because, like I suggested before, people are literally "ruined" by the achievements of their civilization, many of which are far too high for people to accomplish. We are literally standing on the shoulders of giants. The result is a kind of dizzying despair which wonders, "how can I possibly live up to all that's been given to me in the world?" How can I repay the kindness of the many ancestors that have come before me? In contrast, reveling in the ruins, one comes to realize that in fact it was never the purpose of life to make oneself into an immortal edifice or a statue. To the contrary, it is in demolishing the letter of the law that a spirit can emerge from it that is truly passionate. This passion consists in a certain kind of profound relief, meaning that in spite of all these giants surrounding of me, I am still capable of being redeemed--not through my own effort but through the all encompassing forgiveness of another. It is knowing that there is salvation in brokenness, in imperfection, and in ruins themselves.