This post stems from a conversation I had with a fellow parishioner from a week ago or so. We had come to talk after church and discuss economics (he's an economics professor...and we're both nerds) and discuss his dissertation and what not. It was fun and cordial. My friend told me that he was asked to be a panelist for the discussion following the showing of an anti-Walmart documentary later that evening. I asked him what side he was going to take and he said that he was asked to take the opposition side, which for all intents and purposes, is a supporter of Walmart.
I chuckled, and mentioned to my friend that the Social Justice group on campus will be there. His response remarked about their constant knack for irritation.
Its true. They are irritating. Some of them I agree with. Some of them are really smart. Some are even my friends, but they are irritating for sure. Why? Because they are idealists. It was at this my friend said, "Idealism is crap." And he's right...but it is a really defeatist thing to admit and sad that Christians are willing to say so.
This brings me to the observation in the title, the tension between idealism and realism. Can you have both...neither in their proper form. If one has to lean one way or the other (typically left-bleeding heart types, or right-pragmatic achiever types) he or she becomes lost. In fact, one loses the position that they so advocate.
Idealists are so strong on their idealistic nature that they are not ideal. Realists have become so realistic, that they have lost touch with reality. Of course these are silly, one-sided, broad accusations, but lets put it into view.
The idealist, fighting for such and such a cause, gets so dogmatic about the cause that they create rifts, splits and imperfections with the people they are trying to help preserve. That is far from ideal.
The realist on the other hand, has become such a realist that they are indeed out of touch with reality. Take for example the people on the street. The realist would typically say, well, we can't help all of them, so we need to do what we can do. Their small dream has often left them unattached to the plightful reality of those street people.
So where are we to be? "Idealism is crap," but so is realism. The tension is just that. No one can synthesize the two, and nobody can unabashedly live out the ideal, but nobody can live so responsible as to be a true realist. We need to realize that reality is surreal. We are detached from others, and that aspect is real. We are detached from others' reality. The ideal drives us forward. It is the never-fulfilling longing to be real with others. It is irresponsible and whimsical, and the chasm will never be breached. We must face it, and seek God's help at each moment. As soon as the idealist in us comes out, we must question it with reality, but as soon as the forlorn reality overshadows the lofty ideal, we must stretch our hands forward and clamor for the dream.
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