June 1st, 2020 – Do you ever stop to think of the mountain of differences that separate mankind from his neighbours? I do, sometimes. And when I do, I’m totally amazed at the size of the job in front of us if we want to see life lived differently. Statisticians, economists, politicians, and the hacks who write for our various media, all seem to agree that ‘things will be different’ in future.
Probably they are right. After the happenings of the last three months who would take bets on the number of our population; who would take bets on the numbers who will be earning a living and who will be dependent on state support? Not many. It’s all more or less semi-intelligent guesswork, depending on which abacus or crystal ball is used.
Four nations form the political Kingdom sometimes known as Great Britain, which sometimes seems far from United. Many in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would prefer to live on these islands and speak a language other than English, if only they could make the idea popular. Some immigrants, especially in England would do the same.
The common religion is secularism, which stands aside from the Church of England, the (Presbyterian) Church of Scotland, the autonomous Anglican Church of Ireland, the Church in Wales, which is the Anglican Church in Wales, and the Roman Catholic Church. Spread among the nations are Independents, Methodists, Baptists, (Plymouth) Brethren, Quakers, 7th Day Adventists, Mormons, Pentecostal, Evangelical, Congregational, United Reformed, Uniting, and Eastern Orthodox.
Then there are Jews (Judaism), Muslims, Buddhists, Sikh, Hindu, Atheism/Agnosticism, Confucianism, Rastafarians, Satanists. And more. Roughly 66 million people, or thereabouts.
Loosely speaking, they have one thing in common. With varying degrees of goodwill towards each other, they all stand apart on the principal of ‘I’m right, and you are wrong’. Against that, Ecumenicalism has a tough job.
Aside from multiple differences in language and religion across the four nations, there are also differing political views, all bearing a simple title which is intended to highlight their differences. Conservatives, Socialists, (Liberal) Democrats, Marxists, Communists, Fascists, the Greens, the Independents. Sub-divided yet again between male and female, and again between young and old, and again between healthy and sick, employed, and unemployed, owners of property and renters, leaders and followers, entrepreneurs and feckless, wealthy, and poor.
In other words, potentially, 66 million differing views about How To Do It. Life seems to be a Punch and Judy Show, with the emphasis on ‘show’.
Then, in other moments of reflection, I consider the meaning and purpose of family. Those unique groups of people made up of father/husband, mother/wife, brothers/sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. If we watch our animal friends it seems the natural way for them is for mother to nurture the offspring, and father to be the provider of food and shelter, social positions which are swapped from time to time, presumably on grounds of expediency rather than desire for change.
Marauders know that the way to a ‘kill’ is first to separate the family and attack the weakest/youngest. And that is precisely what happens in the affairs of mankind.
Fathers and mothers might well try to instill good practices into the minds of their children, but they must also send their children to a place to be ‘educated’ by others. Worse, they permit a one-eyed monster that never sleeps, living in the corner of their family room to advise, inform and train their children. Even animals don’t do that!
In between being children and becoming young people, modern mankind finds it s-o-o easy to carry a permanent, portable version of the one-eyed monster in their hip pockets. What price then the well-intentioned parents and grandparents? The bear trap jaws of anti-everything encircles, enfeebles, and destroys the family and we weep for our lost happiness and seemingly fragile security. The animal kingdom shows us too often that the new ways and lifestyles we have adopted are not natural and not necessarily good for us.
AND YET!
Who gave them power over you? YOU DID! Who acknowledged their titles and ranks? YOU DID! In secular terms, who claims to be a sovereign being? YOU DO! (You know your rights, doncha?). In Christian terms we assert that God is sovereign. In Islam (Allahu Akbar ‘God is greater’) and Judaism (Elohim gadol), the same but not as frequently used.
So, take your pick. Whichever one you choose, it will mean that YOU will have to address the world differently from here on. If you see yourself as sovereign there is no longer any requirement for you to kowtow to the physical powers that surround you unless you fear them, which isn’t the basis for any kind of happy family environment.
Ditto if you adopt an alternative belief but if you do that, I think we aren’t speaking about natural things anymore. Rather, we’re addressing spiritual (super-natural) matters, and when that happens it isn’t just a matter of words. It really is a matter of who has the greater power - and it isn’t the Pope or the Archbishop of Canterbury!
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Men are born ignorant, not stupid; they are made stupid by education. Bertrand Russell
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