What if These Are the End Times???
Isn’t it easy to blame someone else for the chaos and believe that we’ll restore order when we banish those responsible? What if it’s us?
We’ve been experiencing political unrest, conflict and chaos in America for years. Today, it seems that this country — and much of the rest of the world — is headed for a cataclysm. And it seems to be driving everyone crazy!
To most Americans, I surmise, the chaos and the crumbling and possibly imminent collapse of government, religion, respect, discipline, predictability, truth, decency, order and a score of other cultural attributes might look like a big mistake or, more likely, the diabolical creation of others, our perceived enemies.
This is America. It’s not supposed to be like this! It’s the [fill in the blank]’s fault!
Depending on your perspective and politics, it is easy to attribute the chaos, the challenge and the blame to liberals, conservatives, the “woke,” Republicans, Democrats, the Patriarchy, feminists, non-whites, Evangelicals, Southerners, Northerners, corporations, capitalism, immigrants and anyone else you can name.
This shit doesn’t just happen on its own. It’s somebody’s fault! It’s gotta be!
What if what’s going on is a timely, “natural” occurrence? What if this chaos and collapse are exactly what is needed right now?
Whaddya mean? The end times? The end of life on Earth?
Well, maybe, especially if we don’t pay attention and we fail to act appropriately.
This isn’t right! We have to get rid of those that are responsible and get back to normal. America has always rebounded and always will.
That would be nice, wouldn’t it, to get back to normal? How about the normalcy of the 1950s, when the economy was expanding mightily, almost everyone who was employed could own a house, and women and Negroes knew their places? That normal?
Well, …
Sorry, but I don’t think that “normal” exists any longer. The cat is out of the bag. Women and blacks won’t be stuffed back in. Home owning is out of reach for a large segment of the population. Worse, there’s more cultural garbage floating around now than you could ever squeeze back into Pandora’s box. The old “normal” can’t be recreated. And I think that’s all right.
I believe our collectively-crafted house of cards probably has to collapse. That’s how we human beings seem to learn.
What are you, a communist?
Otherwise, our reign on Earth will end in agony and ignominy.
What are you, an atheist?
Because there’s something really big going on.
Oh, right. I already see it on my television. And I’m beginning to think it’s your kind’s fault!
Well, there could be some truth to that. But what if it’s the “fault” of all of us? What if — at this stage of our cultural maturation — we’ve co-created a world that is unsustainable in many ways?
What if it’s time for us to grow up as a species? What if this is about evolution?
Whaddya mean? Survival of the fittest?
Not really. How about cooperation, as opposed to competition? That’s also right out of Darwin. What if this widespread chaos is the prelude to the next evolutionary step for homo sapiens? What if we’re on the threshold of a major shift in consciousness?
© 2024 Paul Wesley Burke. All rights reserved.
