Become the change you want to see in the world. –Gandhi
Historically, some changes were ushered in by cataclysmic changes and some were ushered in by years of more subtle, yet revolutionary changes. For example, the Ancient East (think, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Babylonia, and Persia) was replaced by the West (think, the Greco-Roman civilizations). In many ways the Roman Empire was replaced by the Holy Roman Empire (think, Charlemagne) and the feudal states. This slowly gave rise to the West’s great monarchies and their demise began with the French Revolution. The monarchies were superseded by the nation-states of the nineteenth century. These states were radically changed by the Industrial Revolution. World War I (which was simply continued with World War II) ushered in the Atomic Age, the Space Age, the Information Age, the Technological Age, the Creative Age and the next age which is emerging and, as yet, has not been named. The first ‘ages’ emerged over generations – since the end of World War II (70+ years) the West has ushered in at least ‘Five Ages’ – we barely become familiar with one and the next one emerges and seeks to take center-stage.
To speak of all of these changes is to say nothing of the myriad of other changes which have taken place these past thousands of years – locally, nationally, and globally. To list these does not even begin to innumerate the implications of each of these changes. We do have some real sense of the power of change – radical and subtle.
For thousands of years changes were not experienced as being world-wide. Since the end of World War II, however, as change became more rapid it also became more global. The direct global impact of change has dramatically increased these past thirty years or so – and there is no letup in sight. If nothing else, social media will ensure this to be so.
Although it is questionable to what extent the ‘nature of man’ has changed these thousands of years, it is clear that the ‘nature of God’ has – and continues to change. I can hear someone say that ‘God’ has not changed. Perhaps. What seems clear is that our perception of God has changed and continues to change – and if perception is reality then the ‘nature of God’ has, indeed, changed. Even the ‘People of the Book’ (Jews, Christians and Muslims) describe in their sacred texts the ‘evolution’ of God: Many gods became the One God. The God of power and might became the God of spirit and love. The God of law (and eye for an eye) became the God of compassion and forgiveness (forgive one seventy times seven).
The ‘fact’ is that we humans do not agree – have not agreed – on what we mean when we say ‘God.’ How we define ‘God’ continues to change – why? Simply because we humans continue to change and each of us, in our own way, seeks to define God (or to define God out of existence) in our image (a bit ironic I would say). Perhaps this is the paradox: God does not change; it is we humans who continue to change and thus it is we who continue to shift, change and transform God’s image.
With the passage of time we humans see ourselves differently – we change our view of what it is to be a fully human being. A changing image of man means a changing man. Why is this so? It is so because by our nature, we humans are ‘meaning makers.’ As we seek ‘to make meaning’ we seek ‘to understand.’ Change occurs – now with tsunami-like power – and we humans seek to understand and we seek to make meaning of it all. We search and we seek – and once in a while we ‘find’ (or believe that we ‘find’).
Searcher-Seeker 