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<h6 align="center">You are welcome to attend Saturday Virtual Craic:
10:30 EST Saturday's: You are also invited to attend Craic music
trivia hosted by Dr. Paul: 10:00 AM EST Thursday's<br>
</h6>
<h6 align="center">Join Zoom Meeting <br>
<a
href="https://us02web.zoom.us/j/516255319?pwd=ZnpFbTdEOFI1d2ZEdnpKTWt5UnJWZz09"
class="moz-txt-link-freetext">https://us02web.zoom.us/j/516255319?pwd=ZnpFbTdEOFI1d2ZEdnpKTWt5UnJWZz09</a></h6>
<p><br>
</p>
<p>Hi all<br>
</p>
<p><br>
<a href="https://youtu.be/uqsBx58GxYY" moz-do-not-send="true"><img
moz-do-not-send="false"
src="cid:part1.2zM01s55.1uicikJJ@integralshift.ca" alt=""
width="569" height="357" align="right" border="0" class=""></a></p>
<p>Throughout history people experience great social
change.civilizations rise up and civilizations fall. Apocalyptic
literature is one way that our ancestors have given meaning to the
tribulations brought about in the end game of Empires as they
fall. The image to the left is linked to an After Skool youtube
video relating the the historical events that lead to Polybius
developing his theory of the rise and fall of Empires. A theory
that was elaborated by later thinkers like Thomas Aquinas,
Machiavelli and John Adams who contributed this thought to the
American Constitution. <br>
</p>
<p>In this vein I would also like to share with you a reflection on
the apocalyptic story in th Gospel according to St. Mark(13:3-21)</p>
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<h1>The Psychology of the Christian Apocalyptic Stories</h1>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="text-align:right"><span
class="MsoSubtleEmphasis">Art Blomme, Nov. 14,2024</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Christian Apocalyptic stories all follow a
certain structure. First the tribulation is described and
following that is the victory.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It
follows the template of Christ’s resurrection where “death is
rendered to have lost its sting” through faith in the
resurrection. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the Revelation of John, the structure of
this story is clear. The fearsome beast and the calamities that it
brings upon the earth by the four horsemen are described in some
detail. However the calamities are not the end of the story for in
the end these fearsome events lead to the shining New Jerusalem
victoriously descending from the heavens.<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This Sunday’s gospel reading begins by
referring to “the tribulation… where … the stars will fall from
the sky and the powers of the heavens will be shaken”. Following
this tribulation comes the good news.<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>“and then they will see the
son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.” </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The reading ends with the fig tree metaphor
where we are called to view the turmoil in our world as a sign of
the progressing seasons. In the spring when we see the tree’s
beginning to bud we know that summer will soon arrive.<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In like manner when we see
the turmoil and strife in our world we should know that the
kingdom of God is close at hand. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Gandhi says our real enemy is fear not hate.<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Fear causes us to act out of
our reptilian brain. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It
pumps adrenaline and cortisone into our body readying us for fight
or flight. Fear is a negative state of mind that causes us to
withdraw our energies inward to protect ourselves. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Although they may be different, we all have
perspectives on the evil and decay we glean from our interactions
with the world. Our news channels are filled with reports of war
and genocide; of climate disasters, of the rising cost of shelter,
of food scarcity, disease and political corruption. <span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>When we dwell on this
tribulation should we be fearful?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mark’s metaphor of the fig tree <span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>is teaching us to see in the
dangerous events of our time, a sign of the inevitable new season
where the son of Man is coming in the clouds with great power and
glory.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Notice the shift in our mental state generated
by this image when we contrast it to the fearful states that are
generated in the images of the tribulation. The Christ descending
from the heavens with great power and glory generates states of
awe and wonder.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>These
states foster a growth mindset creating the optimum conditions for
transcending the tribulation of our times.<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Perhaps our Christian stories of the apocalypse
should be seen as social resurrection stories.<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Just as our faith in the
resurrection has conquered death, so to our faith in the
inevitability of the New Jerusalem and <span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>the Second Coming conquers the
power of death over our society.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>There is no reason to have
fear. Let us flourish in awe and wonder.</p>
<p><br>
</p>
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