NOW vs THE MIDDLE AGES

Middle Ages.  Primitive?

Scenario 1 (2013):  Ahhh, I've got a tooth infection cos I got lazy with brushing my teeth (after all, there are too many other things to do).  I drive to the dentist, who prescribes me antibiotics, and I'm hunky dorey in a week.

Scenario 1 (1413):  Crikey, I've got a tooth infection cos humanity hasn't yet figured out that flouride prevents cavities.  I'm in agony and the doctor decides to drain my veins to let out the bad blood.  It may have been a demonic attack because of my sin.  I'm dead within the week.
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Postmodernism.  Advanced?

Scenario 2 (2013):  Consciousness barages me at 5:45am with beeps from my alarm.  I subconsciously tap around on my iPhone to turn it off.  Simultaneously, a myriad of concerns of the upcoming day flood my half-asleep mind.  I snort a goodbye to my family while I bustle out the door, bagel in hand.  I'm running late as traffic encloses me a relentless obstacle around me.  I honk at the guy who's trying to push in.  Someone behind me honks at me.  The audacity!  All the while my emails fill like a boat with a leak in it, perpetually threatening to drown me as I bail out one bucket of a task at a time.  I need sleeping pills to counter the caffeine at night.  Then I wake up to Tuesday.


Scenario 2 (1413):  My favorite rooster's familiar crow alerts me to the blossoming of the first rays of light.  This is the day that the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.  I roll over and hold my wife for a little while longer.  As the sun gets stronger, our family sits together eating boiled eggs before the day's work commences.  My neighbors and I are busy helping Mr Brown harvest his field.  When that is done we'll share the profits and rest.  I've known these guys since I was born and the comradery towards a common purpose is perfect.  Everything has its rightful place in my world; everything is a manifestation of God's plan.  (Even the magical fairies that the Brown children spot periodically).  As the sun dips below the edge of the earth, God has ordained that our work day is to close.  I walk across the field to get back to where my wife and kids have spent their day.  My eyes close in a mysterious peace.  Then I wake to the next day's rays.

Comments:
We tend to think of history as linear - ever progressing onwards towards truth.  Time certainly has eliminated a lot of tragedy from the world.  But in it's process, has it eliminated wisdom?  

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