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Take heed! Once again, Paweł Lisicki asks us to put in a lot of mental effort, rattles our peace of mind and suggests that we approach the reality which surrounds us from a metaphysical standpoint. Are you ready to accompany him through the pages of the “New Magnificent Future”? It’s certainly worth it!

For some time now, information has been circulating in the city that Paweł Lisicki is working on a new book. Anyone who had ever come across the work of this passionate journalist and editor-in-chief of several leading press titles in Poland must have felt a slight sense of excitement on learning that the author of such publications as “Who Killed Jesus”, “The Mystery of Mary Magdalene” or finally “Perfection and Poverty”, considered as one of the most important theological books by Father Jacek Salij, was preparing another intellectual feast for his readers. The title of his new work “New Magnificent Future” alone might have made his faithful readers very impatient for the book’s arrival.

 A journey into oneself

“New Magnificent Future” comprises very distinctive short stories. From witty political fiction, depicting what would happen to Poland if left-wing parties came to power and Robert Biedroń became president, through metaphysical stories and very personal retrospections, to a story full of interesting and disturbing hypotheses about the lack of faith.

In his books, Lisicki reaches for topics that exceed the boundaries of journalism, are too weighty to be encapsulated in a few hundred words, and too serious to be expressed using the light and accessible language of journalism. In the era of counting clicks and selling print runs, the topics which are not always suitable for news pages, but which are important and fundamental to our lives, are falling from the agenda. It is apparent that the author does not consent to the above, and that although he participates in this press market race, he does not intend to leave matters important from the point of view of our civilisation to themselves, and this is because Paweł Lisicki takes the threats posed by the modern world very personally.

 Zapaterism, shitism

This is crucial information for the reader, because stories written by a committed author are perceived in a completely different way than those coming from an impassive observer. Here one can perceive this game of emotions, the writer’s fears, the struggle with absurdities, resistance to irrational trains of thought, and disagreement with intellectual absurdity. This is discernible in the title story of the “New Magnificent Future”, where the political world reflected in a crooked mirror shows the consequences of a revolutionary left-wing government in Poland. And although the narrative features a degree facetiousness and folly, the underlying message is quite worrying. Is there a Polish version of zapaterism awaiting us, what will it be called and how it will play out? You will find the answers to these questions in the book.

The short story “The City” (Miasto), which describes the intellectual disease of contemporary Western elites, discusses one of the most harmful political dogmas of our times. “Are we at the end of history? Is our city the fulfilment of history? Is history perfection in itself? Our city is everything – those are your words. You think that it’s enough. You say that in our city no one is afraid and no one awaits or expects anything, because we have eliminated all that from the “outside”, any other future and any other world except for the one that functions as the continuation of the city.” Does this fragment remind you of something? Yes, this is the longed-for Fukuyama’s end of history and belief in the idol of liberal democracy that permeates our elites.

Apage, Satanas!

The short story “The Advocate of the Damned” (Orędownik potępionych) takes place in the desert, where a monk is tempted by Satan. The literary structure of the fable is evocative of the Desert Fathers’ stories. The conversation between the monk Nikifor and Satan is not for the faint of heart. I don’t think the author will take offence, but “Satanic Verses” by Salman Rushdie are a childish game compared to this story. And it is not about causing outrage, but about showing how close we are to evil, and how extremely difficult it is to fight it. The author, known for his many hours of conversations with Cardinal Ratzinger, approaches the deepest aspects of metaphysics in this work. He asks about the meaning of life, the mystery of existence. These ontological journeys of the author are not boring or too complex for an ordinary reader. The intricate content is conveyed in an accessible language and refers to the world of concepts well known to the average person. 

There is also a tale about the lack of faith, for which an insightful reader will need to reserve two or three autumn evenings, because it is a highly reflective read.

Paweł Lisicki feels deep metaphysical anxiety which he wants to share with his readers, not wanting to face it on his own. He gives out warnings, provokes, forces us to think and does all this in a surprising way. The author invites us to agree on facts which are not always pleasant and easy to consider. Lisicki sometimes makes us apprehensive, destroys our inner sacred peace, and forces us to engage in difficult moral dilemmas.

When travelling through pages of the book, the author likes to put us in a difficult situation, and requires us to focus our attention, destroys our peace of mind and forces us to face complex issues. We should not be afraid to do all this, as we won’t feel depressed on finishing the book. Instead, we will be more attentive to what surrounds us and armed with new interesting knowledge which will tell us how to read this reality.

 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood

What does the author of the “New Magnificent Future” want us to be attentive to? He asks us to look at public affairs from the perspective suggested by Saint Paul in his letter to the Ephesians: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” (Ef 6, 12 - 13).

Jakub Pacan 

Title: “Nowa Wspaniała Przyszłość” (New Magnificent Future)

Author: Paweł Lisicki

Publisher: Wydawnictwo M, 2019

The author is a columnist in “Tygodnik Solidarność” (Solidarność Weekly).