From time to time, human and world events converge in such a way as to bring to the surface a recognition of the deep underlying fault lines in societies and nations. Today, we are in such a parlous state. Whether in international relations, national politics, economics, education, or health care, the same soul-searching continues unabated to find solutions to the growing polycrisis. The old order, founded upon outdated institutions and dogmas, is unable to address the rightful needs and aspirations of an awakening humanity. Today, the tide is turning, and the birth of a new world beckons, rising from the ashes of the old.
At the end of the Second World War, after the defeat of the Axis powers, a period of unspeakable horror and pain for so many, a new world order was established, not perfect, but better than what preceded it, to ensure that the mistakes of the past were never repeated. To a certain extent, its goals were achieved: avoidance of another devastating world war, dialogue rather than confrontation amongst many nation states, observance of the rules-based international order, rising standards of living, and improved universal education and healthcare.
Today, in the face of unprecedented social changes, the displacement and mass migration of peoples due to war, famine and economic hardship, climate change, and other significant factors, it is hard to imagine how we can wrest ourselves from these deepening problems. The world order is changing. People’s expectations of a better world remain undaunted. And just as human values evolve, the indomitable human spirit endures. What was acceptable yesterday is today passé, no longer meeting the needs of an ever-developing humanity. All of these upheavals are the result of the new impulses and energies emanating from inner levels, which lie beyond the ring-pass-not of human experience. With the passage of each century, human sensitivity to these impressions deepens and becomes more attuned to the originating impulses.
All the great movements in social welfare, public health, philosophical thought, political reform, religious truth, and scientific discovery are the result of groups of individuals, not necessarily in the same physical location or period of time, interpreting these ideas clearly and focusing them in the outer world of human living. We are reminded in spiritual philosophy, in the words of Helena Blavatsky: “Nothing can manifest in the universe that was not in the universe already.” There is nothing ‘new’ in heaven or on earth. The new is only discovered when the mental capacity and the spiritual inclination of a relative few can interpret the higher patterns and anchor them in human living.
The ebbs and flows of life constantly immerse the human family in great conditioning energies, of which there is no escape. Today, we stand at a crossroads in consciousness. Behind us stand the conventions, protocols, and order of the past, which are failing to address the deep-seated challenges. In front of us stands a vision of hope or despair, an age of light or further descent into the darkness of selfishness.
Can we turn the tide in consciousness and offset the gloomy spectre of rampant materialism and isolationism, of nations looking inwards, suspicious of neighbours at best and hostile at worst, and of a blatant disregard of truth, all the while holding back the rolling tide of evolution into a brighter future? Can we stretch every sinew to embrace a vision of hope founded upon the eternal goodness of the cosmos? This is the lesson and the challenge before us.
Alice Bailey wrote many years ago that in the hands of the worldwide group of servers, of all those who are dedicated to the welfare of humanity and the planet, lies the salvation of the world. The many millions who tirelessly work for noble and visionary causes, exoteric and esoteric, stand at the forefront of a momentous movement in consciousness. Their work is clearly visible in all facets of human thought and activity. Their impetus has the potential to change the dynamics and direction of travel of human and planetary evolution. Their efforts have a profound influence on public opinion, and the resistance to it is an indication of its growing impact on the world stage.
Evolution is a slow process, but incrementally, the weight of public opinion leans towards a higher standard of ethical living. The tide is turning, and all those who can lead their lives in a spirit of goodwill, who can think and speak truth, and who care for all living beings are a part of this global transformation in consciousness.
(From time to time, we feature on the home page, under the section ‘News From Around the World’, a few of the many thousands of groups and organisations who are blazing a trail in consciousness.)