I still believe that the Network Civilization is replacing Western Civilization. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
The closest we ever came to God’s ideal in terms of human society stood for a time after the Flood. At some point, things went wrong, symbolized by the Tower of Babel. There was some potential in the early Hebrew nation, but we know from the prophets that Israel served as much as a failed example as anything else. Only in their best moments did they demonstrate what was possible, and there weren’t many of those moments, and they weren’t that long by comparison.
John’s Apocalypse, at least in part, warns that things will never get right again. There was a shadow of good living in the early New Testament churches, but those were quickly subverted. Throughout history since those days, the best we could expect to see has been brief flashes of time when people understood the importance of living in the extended family setting — “family” as defined by shared spiritual DNA. Meanwhile, the general trend of human history is toward increasing moral chaos.
Having a visible organization makes you a target. Satan already knows when he sniffs trouble for his plans, but he works through people who take a little longer to recognize something worthy of oppression. Over the past few years I’ve been encouraging an individual faith that grows despite a lack of physical proximity with fellow travelers. By no means is this optimal for the fallen human soul, but it may well be optimal in our context. My closest spiritual fellowships, with but a couple of exceptions, are here online.
In human meat space, most of us are isolated alien beings scattered across the planet. By our divine calling, each of us finds ourselves far from another. Some of us are fortunate to have found a spouse who shares our faith, but most of us are very much alone geographically. What I wouldn’t give to see each of you face to face…
Yes, it’s painful. I’m doing what I can to keep this power of living alive without that heart-to-heart proximity. Do your part, brothers and sisters. The coming Network Age will be harder than ever.
