Saturday, January 19, 2008
Location: Colorado Rockies

I was reading recently about the Prophet Daniel. I was led to this reading by a film in which he was mentioned, and being named Daniel, I was obviously curious. It turns out that the Prophet Daniel was told by an angel of the end of time, the final spiritual battle of these end times, and essentially the story of Armageddon.

All this reading got me thinking about how most of what I write on here is pretty similar to those ideas. I seem to most of the time be saying essentially that the world is about to end as we know it. But I also try to balance this notion with the idea that there is always an upside to every down.

I also read something about how the Prophet Daniel was said to be a false prophet and this got me thinking. Is all my harping about how messed up our world is just a fear-based, irrational, alarmist outcry that echoes from the past? Or, are we in a really serious predicament like never before seen in history? For me the answer remains, YES.

But as much as we're in deep trouble, there is always room for hope. So to make sure I ain't no prophet reincarnate ;-) and to throw a wrench into things, I want to talk, not about the end of the world, but the upside to down, and new beginnings.

I was thinking about specialization in an age of destruction. I am always telling people that the future is to go back to the land, to go back to local agriculture, to go back to simple and sustainable ways of doing things. I'm always telling people that the only way forward is to go back! Now most people I talk to agree with the idea, but sometimes I get these looks from people. A friend was saying recently in response one of my 'sermons', "Farming, ha, you'll never find me going back to farming, planting vegetables and stuff, no way, you might as well just shoot me!" I thought to myself, wait and see... but then maybe she's onto something.

Maybe my farming off the grid future reality is just that, MY REALITY. Maybe her future looks quite different, as does the future of everyone out there. There is a tremendous amount of room out there for specialization in an age of destruction. I have no doubt that our world is going to hell in a handbasket, but that doesn't have to equate a loss of all our individual talents, reduced to a world of everyone plowing fields.

I always say the reason we're F%$(ed is because in this technological world we've lost touch with nature and our ability to adapt. But at the same time, this technology itself is an adaptation, and if the world were to end, say tomorrow, we would probably find ourselves staring into our computer screens wondering what to do with ourselves. The point is, faced with a breakdown of the current paradigm, most of us would do something. And perhaps we would focus on our personal area of specialization/adaptation. Personally, my path would probably be to get off the grid and grow food, since that and filmmaking, is what I'm into.

Others would rebuild organizational systems, rewire technological infrastructure, practice medicine, find alternative sources of clean energy, and the list goes on. Imagine the world IS ending, but at the same time only BEGINNING! I always say to people, imagine what it would be like to live in the dark ages, but with our current technology. People would still die en mass since transitions are never easy, look at the fall of Rome. But for those who use their skills to build something the future may be quite bright. We have so much technological possibility: tidal, solar, wind, geothermal, and waste energy. We have the technology and the knowledge to build harmonious local economies that actually produce net energy, without any fossil fuels. We have come to a point in human history where we are able to manifest these solutions into reality almost overnight, all that's missing is wisdom, human will and the new paradigm into which it all fits.

I think a new paradigm is coming.

However, and this is important, we need to come to a place where we balance our technology with earth's natural systems. We need to work with nature versus working against her. And without a doubt, we need to move away from linear, capitalist, unsustainable, hell in a handbasket as quickly as humanly possible!

But, we can do it, and arguably we are.

All this comes back to my ruminations on the Prophet Daniel. It was said that he was supposedly a false prophet because the end of the world never occurred. This is interesting, since, perhaps the Prophet Daniel was sent to tell people what was coming, and only then in that knowledge did the people act, thus proving him wrong. The world of course didn't end but Rome did fall, which for many resulted in the end.

Perhaps Al Gore flying all over the world giving his global warming lectures is a similar archaic process? Perhaps the only way we change the course of history is by taking the time to look at where we're headed? Only when we see the end, do we try to avert it. I think that's probably the case, and again, it's all a matter of choice.

All I know is, for me, I'll continue with the choice to exhibit content about how we're headed towards the end. I'll do this until I begin to see overwhelming evidence that we're actually taking gigantic steps towards a brighter future.

For if we don't take these steps, our days are numbered ;-)

peace,
d