I looked back tonight to find a post from 2018 where I reflect on a coming crisis. Here is the post that can be clicked on.
Here are a few excerpts from that post:
I have been very exercised about some of the significant global crises that are on the horizon. For the past 3 weeks I have been seeing a very serious economic upheaval. Then a few days ago the global climate report was published with the ‘we have twelve years to address this’.
The façades are opening. It is not simply that we will be able to see the bizarre nature of the Western economic system that only operates if there is debt (debt will always result somewhere in slavery and at some measure an inevitable eating tomorrow’s bread today) or the paucity of public political debate but we will be able to see some very deep roots… unless we close our eyes to what is being revealed. The familiar can close the façades down, although I wonder if we (believers) will even be able to do that this time round. And beyond the familiar there are factors that hamper our sight. Those will be found in our commitment to a shallow Gospel that does not challenge nationalism, patriotism, patriarchy and the deep inequalities in society. If we do not heed at this time that the Gospel is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, nor male and female we will find our eyes will not even see what is before us and we will simply look for ‘normal’ to be restored.
What is being exposed in the days that lie ahead (and I am sure much more can be added to this) are:
- greed and consumerism
- misogyny
- protectionism that demonises the ‘other’
I suggest we have the next two years, when either a level playing field will be established or we will leave the next generation a Herculean task to bring things forward to something that resembles a God shape for society.
so ok. 2 years on, which direction do you think we went? are we on a more level playing field or screwing young people? certainly young people have their opinions on that.
Hi Ann
Hard to call. I think the ‘level playing field’ is now… Means we can engage, but if we don’t then I am not sure where we can go. Maybe the crises that are becoming visible will enable a leverage point…
We are at such an amazing moment. I’ve been teaching about trees and planting them to several classes on climate resilience. If we plant enough trees, in the right places, we can actually offset about 2/3 of the GHG’s that we have emitted for decades as some research shows. Amazing. What would stop any of us from planting trees? I challenged my young students to commit to planting trees. We agreed on a number. Anyone can plant a tree or pay an organization to plant one on their behalf so few excuses.
We are the middle of a couple of emerging crises and so much of the world leadership is making it all worse. But it does afford an opportunity for different decision making, it is a crack in the facade. I continually tell my students that this is the moment for big visions and bold moves. We need to dream bigger than we have in the past so we don’t miss the moment.