It's a New World Master Jack
Read the CBS news story. Begin to think about where we, as Christians, believers in social justice, and people who understand what leaders like Cardijn, Nolan, Merton, Day, and others find ourselves in the world today as it evolves, as technology emerges, and as forms of government become more authoritarian, find ourselves.
AI is not going away. Some in the industry will say what we are experiencing today is just collateral damage when it comes to deaths or harm to people. That is corporate profit speaking. Our voices should be one of People, Planet, Purpose in Life, and Prosperity.
WILL We slowly return to our roots, as we saw in the early movements of Jesus’ followers.
Today, the closest thing that may resemble the movements of the 1st century is the Alcoholics Anonymous movement. It’s not a hierarchical organization. There is no leadership except at local levels, and groups of 12 to 25 people come together to support each other, tell their stories of the week, share food, have a form of education, and build a community that looks after each other. Will authoritarian governments drive people into working models of the early church?
Are We looking for ways to maneuver within an empire we live in that is the antithesis of the gospel? Are we spending time with others in discerning atmospheres where one can learn to breathe with others in the hope of a better society and world we live in? Do we understand what it means to be merciful to one another? Look at the Middle East and Ukraine; where is there mercy, let alone justice?
For those in the US, on 20 January 2025, we may be experiencing a country of oligarchs in leadership roles. Will it be a dictatorship? Will we live off-center under the radar? We find that lines of trust are not simply the stuff of life but the tactics of resistance.
In 2026, the US will celebrate the 250th anniversary of its “birth.” What will that mean for its citizens?
Will We be looking for ways to maneuver within an empire, discerning what hope means in a new world not experienced before, and will we be yearning for mercy? Have we discerned where we can be merciful to one another? Two by two, home to home, mercy begetting mercy.
We are experiencing societal phase change. Do we understand that the medium is the message in the age of emerging technology? Do we know why we must focus on People, Planet, Purpose in Life, and Prosperity, not just profits for shareholders? Or will we be in ten years singing the song “Look what they done to my brain ma, look what they have done.”
“Saint Joseph Cardijn,” pray for us and our enlightenment.