For The First Time in Our History…
If government fails us, do we assume that we are beyond government? Or do we realize that we must re-establish government? If relationships fail, do we assume that we have no need of relationships? Or, do we realize that we must re-create ourselves to be in relationship? If communities fail to support us, do we assume that we have no need of community? Or do we realize that we must pro-actively create the community we want to participate in?
If religions fail to provide us with meaning, do we assume that we are beyond the need for meaning? Or do we realize that we can and we must re-invent meaning for ourselves?
The aim of all religions, stated or otherwise, has been to provide spiritual nutrition. This takes the form of words, stories, images, rituals, gestures, postures, ceremonies, taboos, songs, and dietary proscriptions.
As such, religions are languages of life. Religions give us a way to speak life to each other and to ourselves. And religions thus provide us with the life nutrition we need as living beings.
Religions form the matrix of our being. It’s how we know how to have the best life, the happiest life, what to avoid in life and how to share life with others. It’s how we arrange our values, our relationships, our science, our government and our careers.
The breakdown of religion in modern society is a breakdown of the matrix of our living. This leads to nihilsm, where it’s unclear and unknown how to choose one value above another. This state of being has been described as the “flatland” of the “post-modern” era whose coming was prophesied by Friedrich Nietzsche.
The only way out of nihilsm is to consciously erect another language of life. Only now, in this time, we have the extraordinary ability to consciously, collectively shape this language. No longer do we need to rely on a voice from on high appearing in a cave or a burning bush. No longer do we need to wait for an anointed one.
We are the ones we have been waiting for. And we have the consciousness to re-create a language of life.
Imagine for a moment how it felt for the Founding Fathers of America to consciously, collectively create a government for the first time in history. And now realize that we may do the same to consciously, collectively create a language of life, a matrix of our being… for the first time in our history.
What meaning will we create, collectively?
with love,
Alexander Dunlop
The Prophet iB
