I would like to say something about Comenius, in the Netherlands a biography about his has been published. In English was published earlier:*
Comenius
was ahead of his time, he had a hard life and was a voice crying in the
wilderness, but also a bearer of light, a visionary who could see beyond three
/ four centuries, so it seems.
In his life
he has suffered greatly.
He fled
from the Czech Republic for the Catholic Reformation. In villages all young
people were cut off an arm or leg by the Catholics as a warning. He had to
flee. His wife and children, who had remained behind there, succumbed to the
plague. Eventually, he has lived 14 years in Amsterdam in freedom and peace and
died there.
What are
his visionary performances?
- He discussed once for four hours with Descartes, who had the perspective of the ratio in man. Comenius argued that man is more than just a rational being, and that a society only based on the ratio sooner or later will derail, because it is one-sided then. He suggested a pansophic philosophy, with the purpose of improving the world and promote peace between people and nations.
- He developed a pedagogy that was very progressive at the time: schools were workshops of humanity, he argued for lifelong education for both men and women and wanted parents to play with their children, even now in some cultures a strange thing. Then it was very unusual.
- He wrote about a global "college of light," a kind of United Nations, but the belligerence that time came out on top of these ideals.
- He was
already into ecumenisms: every religion was capable of contributing something
good, and in one of his books is a carving,
made of by Comenius, of a monk and a rabbi debating with the Prophet
Mohamed.
Would you
like to comment on this?
Comenius was indeed centuries ahead of his
time, he spoke of things mankind is trying
to realize nowadays. And he has suffered above average. But his suffering has
not compromised his ideals, but strengthened them.
Comenius is after his death reunited with his
wife and with his children, meanwhile grown up in the spiritual world. From out
of the spiritual world he is one of the most influential spiritual protectors
and inspirers of philosophy and politics. Especially in these times where the
narrow principled capitalism is going to failure, his thought will be breathed
new life. He was a holist, so he took everything into consideration, not just
one aspect of man. Holism will take her flight.
May Comenius be blessed.
My blessings to you all
*John
Comenius: The Labyrinth of the World and the Paradise of the Heart (Classics of
Western Spirituality) by John Comenius, Howard Louthan and Andrea Sterk (Jan 1,
1997)
Nr. 251
