Reconstruction in this Age of Awakening
The Gift Hidden in the Madness
In the Gospel of Thomas (saying 2), Jesus outlines a transformative process that occurs from seeking and finding knowledge or “the truth”. Specifically, he said, "Let one who seeks not stop seeking until that person finds; and upon finding, the person will be disturbed; and being disturbed, will be astounded; and will reign over the entirety."
The transformative process:
Seeking
Finding
Disturbance (Shock)
Astonishment (Wonder)
Rule over All- Achieving enlightenment, individual liberation, and the inner kingdom of heaven.
Rest-This last step is added in some Greek translations.
The truth is uncomfortable. It challenges our ego, our long held worldview. The truth highlights illusions we believed in, sometimes with our whole hearts and minds. It uncovers the lies we’ve been sold and perhaps the harm we’ve engaged in while under the influence of grand deception.
Yet, if we push past the discomfort, emancipation from the shackles of systems built to control us, awaits. Mental slavery shatters. It is there we encounter our higher selves, also known as the kingdom of heaven within us.
Currently, we are experiencing a grand awakening on this planet. We are finally getting answers and uncovering what has been hidden from us in order to maintain the status quo of control and manipulation.
Religion has been exposed.
Institutional abuse has been revealed.
The media empire serves an agenda for the powerful.
In a nutshell, many of our foundations are cracking under the weight of corruption, distortion, and mass human and planetary exploitation.
It is scary and difficult to process that throughout history, concentrated power has often controlled and manipulated society to protect its own interests. This dynamic has existed for centuries. Power has had its hands in everything from religion to politics to economics.
So, what now? What is there to believe in? What can we hold onto in this dark hour?
Love.
Love for your fellow human.
Love for yourself.
Love for the planet.
Love for the powerless.
Jesus tried to teach us that very simple truth and it’s amazing the way that his teachings have been twisted and manipulated to such a degree that now we have Christian influencers calling empathy a sin.
In Jesus’ name, some leaders have convinced millions of Christians that their god is going to destroy this world after the rapture. Who does that benefit? It can benefit those who profit from deregulation and unchecked exploitation of the earth’s resources. When people believe the world is temporary and disposable, environmental responsibility becomes easier to dismiss.
They live in apathy about protecting the environment because “What’s the point? God’s going to destroy it.” Never realizing that certain theologies can be used in ways that harm humans and destroy this beautiful earth.
Power often worships money, and organized religion has not been immune to that temptation. We see the evidence every day.
Million dollar sound systems.
Gourmet coffee shops in the sanctuary.
High-end suits and diamond cross necklaces behind the pulpits.
Megachurch marketing departments.
Church merch.
Sermons for sale.
Give, give, give, the church needs a bigger building to teach more people how to enable systems of oppression.
Some religious leaders publicly supported a man widely accused of predatory behavior and dishonesty, encouraging their congregations to do the same, while celebrating stock market highs as proof of blessing.
It’s all so far off from loving your neighbor that my head spins.
Yet, the truth is there for all who want to find it. For those that have ears, hear. For those that have eyes, see. Yes, it’s disturbing. Yes, it’s difficult to process and maintain sanity while you’re being shocked with the unthinkable.
But perhaps this moment is not only about exposure. Perhaps it is also about reconstruction.
If structures built on fear begin to crumble, we are invited to build something new. If theology rooted in control loses its grip, we are free to rediscover faith rooted in love. If systems that worship money reveal their emptiness, we can choose to value human dignity instead.
Yes, awakening can be disturbing. Yes, it can be difficult to process. But disturbance is not the final stage. Astonishment follows. Clarity follows. A deeper sovereignty follows.
To release yourself from fear-based narratives, whether religious or political, is a profound gift. To choose compassion over apathy is power. To choose stewardship over exploitation is strength. To choose love in an age of cynicism is rebellion of the highest kind.
This does not have to end in despair. It can begin in reconstruction.
You are not powerless.
You are not trapped.
You are free.
You can rest.
Songs that inspired this essay: