Analysing the monumental reconstruction work required in the aftermath of the Second World War, Alice Bailey concluded that although the work of experts in finance, government, and other agencies were greatly needed, “above all else” she wrote, “the solution must be found in the uprising of goodwill in the hearts of men [and women]. This will provide the right compassionate incentive”. Devoid of the sustaining impulse and motivation of the universe, the integrating power of love, which it is said, “impels Deity itself to action”, human progress is stunted and withers on the vine.
Eighty years on, we live in different times, yet we stand at another crossroads, just as formidable and challenging. The clash between East and West, the burgeoning power of big business, the erosion of religion (especially in the West), the global effects of climate change, the widening gap between rich and poor, and the impact of migration, to name but a few, are causing far-reaching fault lines in societies throughout the world. Political systems, struggle to contain the cascade of crises. Into the vacuum, populist and backward-looking politicians seize the moment to ferment discontent, agitate unrest, and cast dark shadows over the social and political landscapes. Not since the Second World War has the spectre of right-wing ideology been so prevalent. Yet, those who sow the seeds of division face formidable obstacles. There are countless millions of people who are shining examples of goodwill, who stand for unity over separation, reconciliation over alienation, and right over wrong.
Over the last few centuries human intelligence has evolved exponentially. It has catapulted humanity into an age of almost universal education. This is a remarkable achievement in such a relatively short space of time owing to human response in improving the well-being of countless millions across the planet. The worldwide labour movement was instrumental in bringing about these constructive changes and lifting many out of grinding poverty and darkness into a greater light.
But the development of the intellect has not only sown the seeds of separation and division, but also precipitated a crisis in stimulating a rampant materialism. Due to the inherent selfishness of the human family, and its emphasis on wrong values, the energy of active intelligence, Alice Bailey wrote, has been “crystallised into money”. By and large, the whole panoply of global finance, and business, serves the incessant demand for material wealth and goods.
The widening gulf between the rich and the poor is becoming so disproportionate (and unreal) that even the statistics are hard to believe. For example, the three richest men in the US have accumulated more wealth than all of the bottom half of the US population together. These three individuals have a collective worth of more than one trillion (one million million) dollars. These grotesque disparities are sobering statistics. Unbridled capitalism breeds discontent. But at the other end of the spectrum, there have been, and are, immeasurably wealthy individuals, such as Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, Joseph Rowntree, and Bill and Melinda Gates, who have given generously of their time and resources to good causes.
Instead of using money to address the palpable inequalities in society, to construct a system of health care for all, and the many other initiatives that would benefit the human family in immeasurable ways, money and all its trappings, have been channelled to satisfy material objectives. Human intelligence has been used to stimulate a growing materialism and not construct a new world founded on spiritual values.
“The problem of life”, wrote Dr A Wilder, a nineteenth century American Physician and Neoplatonist Scholar, is “man”. But, “man”, not only embodies in his nature the “problem”, but also the solution. We are not privy to all of the global initiatives that harness goodwill to fulfil their altruistic purposes. But, today, there are many. What the news channels around the world broadcast daily is only a partial representation of the human condition, and normally of a negative nature. And, whilst, there are deep underlying world problems, there are many individual, groups, and agencies that work tirelessly behind the scenes harnessing goodwill to fulfil their objectives. The world would be a poorer place, morally and physically, without their unstinting work.
Only the dynamic of goodwill in world affairs can bring about the constructive building of the fabric of human life. It is the balm that heals, builds bridges between disparate elements, cements relationships between individuals, groups, and nations, and embodies a common vision of a better world. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to suggest that an uprising of goodwill is underway. The cohesive and binding power of goodwill is the interface that links the Purpose of God and the aspiration of humanity. It connects us with our divine Source and will eventually, as Alice Bailey observed, “draw forth from its holy secret hiding place the Exponent of Love, and thus the new world will come into being.”