The Tipping Point

Following up on my previous post, my wife, Peggy, and I have had numerous discussions about the coming shift in our world. Currently two possible threads seem possible. One thread says that the coming historical culmination will contain violent upheaval. Another thread moves more along the lines of a gradual transition to a higher plane of existence, a spiritual evolution, if you will.

Obviously these two are mutually exclusive.  Which path is it to be?

Looking at world events, it sure seems the upheaval thread is more likely. Violence increases, wars continue, cultural upheaval is the norm, nothing appears certain. The growing gap between rich and poor has always been an indicator of social unrest, so why should our age be any different? There is greater inequity in so many areas of life, especially economic, than ever before. This has got to lead to conflict between the have-nots and the haves. And people in developing countries now have access to media allowing them to become increasingly aware of these inequities. Higher awareness fosters unhappiness and dissatisfaction with these inequities.

On the other hand, we are aware of increasing numbers of people growing spiritually. There is a greater spiritual awareness and hunger than ever before. People are rushing to experience spiritual growth in unprecedented numbers. More and more people want to know about the spiritual dimensions of life, and experience and participate in what God/Universe/Source is doing.

But looking at the overall picture, the numbers of these latter seem so small compared to those involved in the paths of violence.  How can we hold any hope that the spiritual evolution will ever catch up with and surpass the violence spectrum?

Then one day Peggy ran across the concept of a "tipping point" in her reading. This caused a huge spark of hope to flare in us. The essence of a tipping point, in this case, is that it doesn't necessarily require an equal number of spiritually evolved people to overcome the violent ones. In other words, we don't need to wait and hope for a 50-50 split. It only requires a small percentage of spiritually mature to influence and change the world's course, to overcome the evil in this world.

Well, if that is true, then we can have hope!  I don't know what the "magic" number might be, but even if it is as high as 10%, that sounds a whole lot more hopeful than 50%.

I thought of the Biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham bargains with Yahweh for the salvation of the cities. He begins by asking Yahweh if he could spare the city for the sake of fifty righteous people within it. "And Yahweh said, 'If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.'" (Genesis 18.26) Abraham keeps bargaining, obviously realizing there is little chance of finding fifty righteous in such a sinful place. He bargains down to 45, then 40, 30, 20 and finally 10. "For the sake of ten I will not destroy it," says Yahweh. (Gen 18. 32)

There's the principle. A small percentage of righteous people will be salvation for the whole. And I believe this principle is still at work. If enough people begin to awaken spiritually, and seek their part in the salvation of the Earth, it can be saved. A "tipping point" of spiritually mature people can lead this Earth through a natural transition to a higher plane of existence. It does not have to undergo calamitous upheaval and destruction.

"As anthropologist Margaret Mead famously said, 'Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.'" (The Great Awakening, Jim Wallis, p.65)