"The brutalities of progress are called revolutions. When they are over we realize this: that the human race has been roughly handled, but that it has advanced."
(the bishop speaking in Les Miserables by Victor Hugo)
A paradigm shift happens when "a series of peaceful interludes is punctuated by intellectually violent revolutions whereby one conceptual world is replaced by another". (Thomas Kuhn)
And of course, turmoil must follow, whether it is emotional, spiritual or political. Change is inevitable, and is the only true constant.
(Gr. para (beside)+ deigma (pattern, example, or sample)
We cannot live without a paradigm , a thought pattern, a framework of philosophy.
We have watched the tumultuous political shiftings of governments in Tunisia, Egypt, and now Libya displayed in living bloody color. More may yet unravel. And we watch with sympathetic wonder at both young and old who are emboldened to demonstrate their outrage at decades of injustice. One Libyan said that all he wanted to do was to live like a human being. The unanimous cry we hear is for Democracy, but not on our terms. Fair enough. We can only recommend and lead the fray into the chaos we call liberty, and the guarantee of human rights. They don't want our "shock and awe" kind of military intervention, thank you. They are willing to spill their own blood to gain the treasures of freedom, and raise their own flag in the battle. Those who are politically cynical have said they know the United States really doesn't give a damn about them, but has only wanted their oil. How else can we explain the years of courting these dictatorships in return for supplying our addiction?? Our familiar recompense was to supply them with weapons to strengthen their military arm. Those who are more naive have wanted us to come and rescue them. Perhaps and finally, this form of government we call a Democratic Republic is the very best that man has ever devised to offer the world.
We rest our case.
These are countries who have lived through a prohibition of progress based on an ideology that fears freedom of religion, of conscience, of women being educated, of technology, and sees only evil in these liberties, calling them the work of the "Great Satan". They are some 60 years behind the developing world, and have been denied basic human liberties, and above all, their human dignity. We can hardly appreciate their extraordinary moment in history, their rising up together, their storming the barricades. "Power to the people" is the tidal wave that is crashing now on every shore, even our own. But we can applaud their struggle to be recognized as a people by the global community of the 21st Century. Because we cannot yet predict the outcome of these conflicts, we may fear what kind of people will finally emerge. Will they turn their horns of power upon us, and rend our gut, we who introduced them to the potent wine of liberty and progress??
Christians proclaim a "gospel of the Kingdom" to a world constantly striving to gain power, one people over another, one nation against another, one kingdom over another. Our King was crucified because His Kingdom was not of this world, and wasn't even recognized or desired by His own people. He warned them that this Kingdom of God would be taken from them and given to a people who would cultivate it and bear its fruits. He chose not to use angelic armies, or human weapons to defend His authority. His earthly throne was a cross that bore witness to his true identity. From it he decreed only forgiveness and mercy.
His Kingdom of Love and Peace will one day reign over all the kingdoms of this world. We pray for his Kingdom to come, and be the final end of all human progress.
This is our hope during times of revolution and change.
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