Change, Fear and Hope.

"The world is changed... I feel it in the water... I feel it in the earth... I smell it in the air... Much that once was, is lost... For none now live, who remember it... It began with the forging of the Great Rings. Three were given to the Elves, immortal, wisest and fairest of all beings. Seven to the Dwarf lords, great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls. And nine, nine rings were gifted to the race of men, who, above all else, desire power. But they were, all of them, deceived, for another Ring was made. In the land of Mordor, in the fires of Mount Doom, the Dark Lord Sauron forged in secret a master Ring, to control all others. And into this Ring he poured his cruelty, his malice and his will to dominate all life. One Ring to rule them all.” -- The Lord of the Rings

The world seems to be changing each day with an ever so tenious approach toward some sort of "doomsday". The headlines on the newspaper today speak of tough talk from North Korea, the increasing death toll in Iraq, and more problems with the perception of Islam. Just as depressing is the political situation in the United States--the constant blame game going on here is enough to drive anyone mad. Peak oil, evangelical fundamentalists, homelessness and every other problem or evil we're dealing with these days all seem insurmountable.

It's easy to live in a constant state of fear and anxiety of what the next hour will bring. The post-September 11, 2001 world is more like the days of the cold war and might even be compared to the years before World War 2.--not to sound like an alarmist. Like T.S. Eliot in The Wasteland we ask "Is this what western civilization has led to?" The situation is tense and sometimes a little bleak--but one must not forget our chance at greatness. We must not forget to hope.

We can hope in this changed world, we can hope in the possibility that all that's gone wrong may shed greater light on a new way to do things--we can hope for change. It may be hard to find this hope--but hope is what spurs change. So maybe there is no doomsday ahead of us--maybe we will see great change and a great generation will once again rise up and take action.

"Perhaps once again something is afoot in this darkness that no one, not even the prince of darkness knows about. Who knows? We only go like Frodo the Hobbit into Mordar, not certain of the outcome of the mission, certain only of the mission itself. On the journey we commend ourselves to God, and we rest." -PB

Peace and Power