Metanoia

Metanoia
Nancye Belding

“The art of living is always to make a good thing out of a bad thing. Only if we know that we have actually descended into infernal regions where nothing awaits us but ‘the cold death of society and the extinguishing of all civilised relations,’ can we summon the courage and imagination needed for a ‘turning around,’ a metanoia. This then leads to seeing the world in a new light, namely, as a place where the things modern man continuously talks about and always fails to accomplish can actually be done...
“Can we rely on it that a ‘turning around’ will be accomplished by enough people quickly enough to save the modern world? This question is often asked, but no matter what the answer, it will mislead. The answer ‘Yes’ would lead to complacency, the answer ‘No’ to despair. It is desirable to leave these perplexities behind us and get down to work.”
- A Guide for the Perplexed by E.F. Schumacher, 1978

British philosopher E.F. Schumacher (best known for Small is Beautiful) died before the words quoted above were published in 1978, when I first read them. Ever since, I have been watching and waiting for the possibility of “Metanoia,” in hopes that I might have some helpful influence when it came.

Over the next 20 years I became increasingly certain that the millennium would foster the conditions for metanoia, as other thousand-year cycles have produced the Buddha and Jesus. But the millennium came and went, and the perils to the planet and those who occupy it seemed only to multiply. I have watched with dismay as global warming threatens all life forms; as increasingly greedy and corrupt and power-hungry American leaders openly admit that they want to control the world (calling themselves the only superpower and dictating what other countries must do in lieu of diplomacy); and as declining resources continue to be plundered at alarming speed and without concern for environment impact.

I have watched the despair of the poor increase boundlessly, while the very rich feed on both despair and back-breaking labor like the Windigo, the gigantic Native American eater of souls with a heart of ice.

As the years have passed the gaps have widened and now the American middle class finds itself straddling the abyss, unable to leap to the side of wealth and clinging desperately so as not to fall into the great mass of poverty as their health care, their real wages, their pensions and their childrens' educations are increasingly cut and their jobs are outsourced to cheap labor in India or China.

I read the stories, I ponder the statistics with the careful scrutiny of the trained sociologist that I am. Some days I just cry, for the loss and the hurt and the suffering, not only of people but also of the other sentient beings and the ravages to Gaia, Mother Earth, herself. Pollution from nuclear fallout, radioactive waste, chemical and biological ravages to air, water and earth, loss of uncountable species in rainforests and wilderness, and all the myopia and selfishness that has allowed these terrible things to happen.

Finally, the self-proclaimed Emperor (“Decider”) of America and its subject sovereign nations (all nations, that is to say) has brought my horror and dismay to that point Schumacher names “the descent into infernal regions.”

How so? I foresee imminent nuclear world war if Bushco’s “Rapture” fantasy of Armageddon brings all the great powers to bear as he pushes belligerently towards attacking Iran despite worldwide dismay. I foresee that the richest nations and multi-national corporations will consolidate their control of world trade, squeezing the poor in a vise that will scarcely support life. I foresee that the Neocon Republican conspiracy that started with offing people who might have made a difference (John and Bobby Kennedy, MLK, John Lennon, Paul Wellstone) has finally re-written the American constitution and rule of law, has bought and controlled the media, and has managed to stifle dissent with torture, warrantless spying, secret detention centers and egregious violations of international law. I foresee elections bought and paid for by zillionaires, votes counted by secretive (paperless) electronic machines made by Repuglicans, dirty and vicious attacks on opposing candidates instead of reasoned debate....
But, wait, stop. Then the 2006 midterm elections happened. A Metanoia moment? Perhaps, as dear old Abe Lincoln said, “You can’t fool all of the people all of the time.” He never imagined electronic surveillance or right-wing media control. But he got one thing right: The descendants of the revolutionary heroes who believed in government for the people can see through a brick wall in time.

The 2006 shakeup did not happen in a vacuum. It happened with people like me, like you, day by day, trying to make a difference, reaching out even when we were called enemies of America. Of the new representatives elected to the House, 78 were “graduates” of Camp Wellstone, trained in Paul’s populist and progressive tradition of campaigning from the ground up. The biggest caucus in the new House will be the Progressive Caucus, probably about 70 people.

“If you want your dream to be
Take your time, go slowly
Do few things but do them well
Heartfelt work grows truly.
If you want to live life free
Build your secret slowly,
Small beginnings, greater ends,
Simple joys are holy.”
- Donovan, from “Brother Sun, Sister Moon”

In short, what looks to be turning around now happened because a lot of us left perplexities behind us along with despair some time back and got down to work. And the work goes on, and will continue to go on, but maybe, maybe, the turning around is in time.