That something is that when I think and talk and write about life and society and church, in my mind's eye I am often "sitting on my perch" looking down on it all.
What do I mean? Imagine sitting on a branch in a tree looking down on people. You have a distant, imperial vantage point in your mind to look down on everything and make judgments and prognostications.
For example, imagine this historical timeline:
1900------------1950----Vatican II, etc-------2017
I know every mind is unique and has its own ways of imagining and conceptualizing. I often literally imagine this timeline in my mind. And it is like I am perched up above it looking down from a distance, judging and prognosticating.
We do have to step back and look over things objectively. When monks take their afternoon walk up the hill to look down on their monastic grounds, it affords them a brief retreat to look at their life from a different vantage point, the advantage being a moment of calm recollection.
But folks, I must confess I too often perch up high looking down. There's wisdom to be gained, but its also dangerous.
We see so little from even the highest spots, with the highest IQs, and with the most information. We see so little. But we (I) pretend to see so much.
There's an awesome power and talent in being able to rise above events and geography and look out across it all with logic and vision. Perhaps traditional Catholics, especially those who read and think a lot, as it seems we often do, have that ability, but its a powerful, potentially harmful gift, if we are not humble in our intellect. And the older and more aged I get, the more I realize I need to spend more time on the ground.
Am I making sense? What are your thoughts?