(written 2/6/09)
Part I
We are usually unaware of how our perceptions and understanding of life are filtered through our paradigm. That paradigm is shaped by our experiences, our friends, our family , the people in our lives, the media. ‘That’s just the way things are’ or ‘That’s how things work’ or ‘That’s how things should be’—that is our paradigm. Anything outside of our paradigm is ‘impossible’ or ‘unthinkable’. Few of us think to question it. But, the American Paradigm is about to be shattered.
When we have observed people with whom nothing makes sense , whose explanations are full of holes, and whose actions seem illogical at best, we begin to doubt their honesty. Most honest people operate from the paradigm that others are honest and it is very confusing to them when confronted with the incongruency of a dishonest person. Other dishonest people aren’t fooled, because they operate from a different paradigm—one that allows for the possibility than any other person may also be dishonest. Innocence, naivette, gullibility, call it what you will. Take a small child who believes in Santa Claus and confront him with the truth. He will call upon the most absurd explanations to preserve his paradigm! When our paradigm is shown to be false, we are shaken to our core.
God often teaches us by patterns. For the past few years, and certainly accelerating in recent days, are the uncoverings of dishonesty in people and institutions that we have trusted. Lets assume the acceleration is God’s way of speaking LOUDLY to us, of putting an exclamation point at the end of the lesson. What might this lesson be? What might each of these uncoverings be foreshadowing? Are they beginning to put some cracks into the American Paradigm . . . beginning to open our eyes to things that seemed unthinkable . . . impossible?
When you look around you does everything seem to be coming apart? Is everything happening too quickly to make sense of it? Are we calling upon absurd explanations to make sense of all that is unfolding around us? ‘The American People’ are very optimistic, generous, and naïve. That is at the core of our paradigm. But, what if there really is evil afoot? What if there really are people who are not concerned with the common good, but rather, with their own ambitions? No, that’s not news, we can all agree on that. We’ve seen that for a number of years, and certainly, accelerating in recent days. But what might this foreshadow? What might God want to open our eyes to . . . to warn us about? What is coming?
Part II
The president of the United States loves The American People and seeks for their good, for their best . . . the president of the United States is a benevolent leader whose patriotism is beyond question . . . the president represents the will of those who elected him . . . the president’s will is to honor the high calling of serving and protecting The American People. Paradigm.
What if his will superseded the will of The American People? What if he was neither serving, nor protecting The American People? When we observed him, would nothing make sense? Would his explanations be full of holes? Would his actions seem illogical at best?
If he were corrupt, dishonest and concerned with his own ambitions . . . if he was not working for our good . . . if he was not benevolent . . . not patriotic . . . what could his agenda possibly be? Who is more powerful than the President of the United States? Who COULD BE more powerful than the President . . . ? What more could he desire? Power corrupts.
What if he felt called, chosen, destined . . . to unite and lead the world?
Part III
What would it take to unite the world? Country against country, clan against clan, family against family . . . what could possibly be big enough to unite the world? It must be a believable threat. Whether or not it be true is irrelevant. What is crucial is that the threat be credible to people all over the world and soon affect them personally. A threat that no one could escape. A terrible shadow looming over all of mankind. An urgent mandate to unite against a common threat. Something huge enough to make us oblivious to a shift of power, or to clamor for it, in light of the threat we faced. Global warming . . . economic collapse . . . pandemic . . . natural disaster . . .
Part II Revisited
What if he felt called, chosen, destined . . . to unite and lead the world?
Would his patriotism . . . to the entire world . . . not be more noble than allegiance to just one country?
In the name of world peace and unity he could undermine his country . . . disarm them . . . reverse the old policies . . . make concessions . . . negotiate with terrorists . . . empower the downtrodden . . . reconcile age-old enemies . . . and be revered as . . . Savior Of The World.
A new paradigm bursts forth! The deceptive explanations, the illogical actions . . . it all fits now. It all makes sense. All the pieces are coming together-quickly. The confusion gives way to clarity, the nagging doubts become certainty, the senseless now makes perfect sense. Thunder resounds as The American Paradigm is shattered and crumbles to the ground. Tears fall like rain and the people shriek in rage . . . betrayed, betrayed, betrayed . . .
Oh Yes He Does Get It!
