Our times are unique. Never before has humanity had so much knowledge and power, both constructive and destructive. Time-honored traditions are breaking down, centuries-old institutions are crumbling, and it seems that tyranny and corruption are gaining the upper hand. We live under the threat of nuclear war, environmental destruction, and climate change. The old ways that got us to this point don’t seem to be working any more, and we cast about looking for answers.
And yet, right in our midst, signs of hope appear. People all over the world are getting in touch, pulling together, organizing themselves, and addressing the issues. They sacrifice their time, dedicate their talents, and strive to create a new vision. Understanding that it is we who created the problems, they feel impelled and empowered to solve them. New life is sprouting.
Where does this willingness, this energy, this creative power come from? It’s almost as if the human race is being reborn, as if a new, quickening spirit is beginning to enliven the minds and animate the hearts. If we can recognize its source and discover its purpose perhaps we can align ourselves with it to help make these times the best of times.
Through the movement of Our Pen of glory We have, at the bidding of the omnipotent Ordainer, breathed a new life into every human frame, and instilled into every word a fresh potency. - Bahá’u’lláh
Collapse or Progress?
Some call these times the Anthropocene, a new geological age in which humans are reshaping the world. We have advanced from the telegraph to the Internet, from steam locomotives to space exploration, from abacus to supercomputer, from gramophone to smart phone—all in the past century or two. And yet wars, poverty, and untold human suffering are still with us. What does the future hold?
The book Collapse by Jared Diamond suggests that if we don’t learn from past mistakes we could easily repeat them. Civilizations as diverse as the Polynesians of Easter Island and the Norse of Greenland collapsed from environmental degradation, climate change, and a number of unwise decisions. Will our global situation suffer the same fate?
Or, as suggested by Paul Hanley in his book Eleven (for the 11 billion of us by the year 2100), can we meet the challenges of sharing the available resources of the planet by using proven technologies and practices to evolve our civilization to a new level? The choice, it seems, lies with us. We need to gain a deeper understanding of our own nature and to connect with our spirit.
All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization. - Bahá’u’lláh
New Beginnings
From another point of view, could these possibly be the “end times” spoken of in the sacred writings of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam? Sometimes it seems that so many people have strayed so far from the path of truth and compassion that we’ll all get sucked into a black hole. If God doesn’t step in soon, humanity is finished.
Or maybe Judgement Day has arrived. Are we now literally wading through its punishments and rewards, attempting to avoid the pitfalls of materialism and modernity in a struggle to find our way to higher ground? This would indeed be a noble task, and worth the effort. The view from there must be breathtaking.
The Scriptures of past Dispensations celebrate the great jubilee that must needs greet this most great Day of God. Well is it with him that hath lived to see this Day and hath recognized its station. - Bahá’u’lláh
Publications
Christ Returns Bible Study
No sooner had Christ departed from this world than people started speculating about His return. Many are still waiting. Some say the time is nigh. The Bible has answers, but each of us reads it differently, and we often draw different conclusions. So, what if Jesus were here to explain the Bible? What would you like to know? More…
Loosening the Knot of Oppression (forthcoming book)
Oppression is a knot that keeps us from realizing our full potential. A large part of human history can be seen as the history of oppression, and much of the suffering in today’s world is the result of that oppression down through the ages. But it doesn’t have to be that way. This book offers a vision of how we can loosen this knot of oppression once and for all, and learn to live in unity and harmony.