David Eggers’ novel The Every describes a future where uncertainty has been all but eliminated. The story focuses a large and continuously expanding corporation called “the Every”. The company creates apps that remind you to do things like take a stretch break, monitor your blood pressure, or check traffic conditions. Sounds familiar, right?
Then they offered an app called “Authentifriend” that uses facial and word recognition to tell you whether your friends really like you or not. Then came “HereMe”, a device that eliminates domestic and child abuse by listening for violent words and sounds in the home, and automatically calling police when these are heard.
In the novel, massive numbers of people voluntarily give up their freedom and welcome these things into their lives. Crime rates fall to zero and loneliness is almost non-existent. There are apps to take care of every possible uncertainty, and the people buy into them completely. The company’s shareholders are well rewarded.
But instead of making life happier and less stressful, the suicide rate soars. Bodies continuously wash up along the exquisite shoreline headquarters of the great corporation. By eliminating uncertainty, life has lost its excitement, meaning, and aliveness. Uncertainty has been eliminated yes, but hope and purpose are gone, too. It’s pretty scary.
Eric Elnes’ memoir, Gifts of the Dark Wood, offers an entirely different approach. Elnes admits the pain of uncertainty, and says it’s natural to want to avoid it. And many of us try, until the symptoms of disease, addiction, violence, stress, or dysfunctional relationships become too painful to ignore.
Walking into “the Dark Wood” means fully facing our uncertainties, and feeling the discomfort and pain they bring. When we accept the pain and surrender the fight to avoid it, a small miracle happens. We’ve created an opportunity where new insights and new purpose can emerge. Another way to say this is that by feeling our true feelings, our heart opens. And an open heart frees us to be creative, and fills us with energy and purpose.
Uncertainty and fear have risen to a new height lately. Facing climate change, war, racism and gun violence at the same time is worrisome and painful. Almost everyone I know feels this. The question is, will we give up our freedom in exchange for certainty? Will we yield to the seeming security of hatred, violence and authoritarianism?
Or will we step into the Dark Wood and let ourselves fully feel our fear and uncertainty? If we do this, it will free us to find the small patches of light that penetrate the darkness. And we can stand in those patches of light and help them grow. We can start by speaking with gratitude and doing the things we love. We will then experience the warmth and connection that is our essence. My hope and prayer for humanity is that we will choose this latter path.