I will admit right upfront that I’m a big fan of David Brooks. I have been reading his opinion column in the New York Times consistently over the past 20 years. I find his work well written, thoughtful, reflective, and taking a global perspective with a good understanding of the importance of liberal arts.
I was sad to hear that Brooks is leaving the New York Times after 20 years. His final opinion article, published on January 30, is entitled, “Time to Say Goodbye.” I was going to send it to several friends and was surprised to find that more than 10 people had already emailed the article to me. So, I decided to send it to all of you.😁🙏
I know you’re very busy, but I highly recommend you taking the time to read the article. Here are a few highlights.
He begins with a summary of his perspective on how the world has changed over the past twenty years:
“The master trend has been Americans’ collective loss of faith — not only religious faith but many other kinds. In 2003, we were still relatively fresh from our victory in the Cold War, and there was more faith that democracy was sweeping the globe, more faith in America’s goodness, more faith in technology and more in one another.”
He points out that only 13% of young adults today believe America is headed in the right direction, and 65% of Americans say they are no longer believers in the American dream.
His opinion is very consistent with mine on what has caused this change in perspective, that is, there is no longer focus:
“On the fundamental questions of life that get addressed as part of a great liberal arts education: How do you become a better person? How do you find meaning? Does America still have a unifying national narrative? How do great nations recover from tyranny?”
Despite the issues and challenges, he (as do I) believe that we can get through the current polarization and negative turmoil:
“Maybe it’s time the country matured, and combined youthful energy with the kind of humility and wisdom that Reinhold Niebuhr packed into one of his most famous passages:
Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime;
therefore we must be saved by hope.
Nothing which is true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history;
therefore we must be saved by faith.
Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone;
therefore we are saved by love.
No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as it is from our standpoint.
Therefore we must be saved by the final form of love, which is forgiveness.
