Hebraic Musing – Where are We in the Cycle of Civilizations?
Cultures and Civilization go through a cycle. They typically rise and fall in about a 200
year cycle and history provides continuous examples. Sociologists describe eight stages of the rise
and fall of the world’s great civilizations.*
Where in the cycle are we? (America?
The Church? Christianity? You/we/us?)
1. From
bondage to spiritual growth – Great civilizations
are formed in the crucible. Jews were in
bondage in Egypt. Christian faith and
the Church came out of years of persecution. Western Christianity emerged from conflicts
during the decline of the Roman Empire. American
culture was formed by the injustices in colonial times. Sufferings and injustices inspired spiritual
growth by men seeking solutions.
2. From
spiritual growth to great courage – Anointed leaders
emerge. People summon courage and a
willingness to sacrifice their lives, if necessary, in order to create a better
and more just world. With little or nothing
to lose they were willing to live, work and die for something more important
than themselves.
3. From
courage to liberty – As a result of the courageous
fight, the foe is vanquished and liberty and greater justice emerges. A civilization emerges rooted in its greatest
ideals. Many who led the battle are
still alive and the battle leaves an inspiring legacy. The liberty is esteemed; the ideals are accepted
and respected.
4. From
liberty to abundance – Liberty and courage usher in prosperity from the virtues of
sacrifice and hard work. But then comes
the first danger, abundance, which takes on a life of its own. "Watch
out! … a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
Luke 12:15 Struggles that engendered discipline and priorities
move to the background; enjoyment of the fruit becomes the focus.
5. From
abundance to complacency – Satisfaction leads to complacency. Things look fine;
but foundations, infrastructures and virtue are crumbling and ignored. They persecute those who raise alarms - “killjoys.”
6. From
complacency to apathy – People have lack of
interest or passion for the things that once inspired, so there’s lack of
attention to and a dismissal of disturbing trends. Sacrifices of previous generations are
forgotten; and they forget that they must work for and contribute to the common
good. Sacrificing for others becomes
remote; more and more are willing to live on the carcass of previous
sacrifices.
7. From
apathy to dependence – Increasing numbers of people lack
the virtues and zeal necessary to work and contribute; so since discipline and
work seem “too hard,” dependence grows. The
culture tips in the direction of dependence (and any sufferings are deemed
intolerable). Civilization now insists
that “others” must solve their woes; thus a growing demand for governmental,
collective, socialistic solutions.
8. From
dependence back to bondage – As dependence increases, so
does centralized power. Dependent people
become increasingly dysfunctional and desperate. Seeking a savior, they look to strong central
leadership; BUT centralized power corrupts and ushers in injustices. Those in bondage know of no other solution. Family and personal virtue, essential
ingredients, are replaced by dark and despotic centralized control, hungry for
more and more power. The people in bondage have lost the virtues to fight.
The civilization gradually
ends. Then what? Typically, a more powerful nation or group
enters by invasion or replacement and destroys what remains of the decadent
civilization, replacing it with their own culture. Then it’s back to the crucible and a new
cycle. Maybe?!?!
Has
this happened before? New Covenant
started with Rome declining; “Holy” Roman Empire; colonial powers (Spanish,
Portuguese, French, and the sun does set on the British Empire). Remember Hitler, Napoleon and the USSR. The OT tells of David’s Kingdom, then Babylon,
Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome.
We are living at the end of an era; painful because we
see that something we love is dying. Do
we need a major disaster, world war, etc. to wake us up?
Points
to ponder
Where in the cycle is
America? …the Church? … Christianity? …You personally?
Vote, but also remember Psalm 146:3-4 “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal
men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on
that very day their plans come to nothing.”
Yosef a.k.a. Joe Brusherd
January
15, 2019
Author:
“Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring
the Hebrew roots of our faith” “Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)” Weekly “Hebraic Musings”
* Excerpted from “The Eight Stages of the Rise and Fall of Civilizations” by
No comments:
Post a Comment