Weathering the struggles of changes through eras

June 7,  2024

Many of the greatest revolutions have sought to erase the traditions and norms of previous generations - the French/American/Chinese/Russian revolutions toppling monarchs and dynasties,  the Schisms/Reformation/Masons/sexual revolution transforming the powers of faith institutions, the Civil Rights Movement and it's impact on Jim Crow power structures within local communities, and technological revolutions constantly shifting the balance of wealth from the old to new.  

Each revolution is the product of extreme pain within the existing societal systems; each persons seeking life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and finding only pain; thus revolting to produce new elements within the social contract.  What was, is no longer; and what is new, is now part of the system.   Not a new system but a new element within the timeless system; constantly rebranding to address the pains of an era. And after the revolution, time takes over - thumpety thump, thumpety thump, thumpety thump, look at Frosty go as time melts the new. 

Having lived in the "new" times of the early 21st century and as we head into middle of the century  I struggle with the changes happening in our society, laws and politics over the last 10+ years.  The reversals across our communities weights upon my soul.  Whether I agree with the changes or not how to make sense of it all?  The profound wisdom from a constitutional legal scholar, the late Paul Freund, who once said the U.S. Supreme Court “should never be influenced by the weather of the day but inevitably they will be influenced by the climate of the era.”

Still the Sun rises each day to morph life into new forms/paradigms that echo the words of Ecclesiastics: 

What was will be again,
what happened will happen again.
There’s nothing new on this earth.
Year after year it’s the same old thing.
Does someone call out, “Hey, this is new”?
Don’t get excited—it’s the same old story.
(Ecc: 1:9-10 - MSG)

The more I struggle to understand the changes in our cultural climate the more "my understanding" slips from me and my soul.  The reality is that monarchs will return,  power will concentrate in faith institutions, and the people will be polarized and segregated thru unseen forces; seeking a return to the norms of a previous times.  The protagonist sees the safety of their wealth in "previous times" and fears the uncertainty of future times. 

And here is my insight, my salvation - the protagonist does not see the slow bent of justice in our society within each weathering day.   Every "new" seems toppled by the cycles of eras; while we thumpety thump into more and more complex systems.   It feels like we are returning to the "same old story"  - not seeing the hand of God molding and smoothing a very simple new societal system. For the climate of each era is the cumulation of so many weathering days and I rejoice in knowing that the Sun is out, the birds singing, the fox hustling about, the deer frolicking here and there - and if you pause and look gently, you too can be a witness to the greatest weathering show.