The rise and fall of great empires often follow patterns of expansion, consolidation, and eventual decline. The Roman Empire, which dominated the ancient world for centuries, serves as a seemingly relevant historical case study for understanding how a superpower can unravel. Today, many scholars and commentators have drawn parallels between…
You Can’t Help Those Who Won’t Help Themselves
In our communities we see that ever-increasing needs is becoming the norm – many of them urgent – and community service and outreach programs strive to selflessly meet those needs, offering resources to those struggling to make ends meet. The intention behind such programs is simple: to provide assistance, support,…
The Tyranny of Unbridled Desire and the Truth of Love
Most of what we regard as important in life is a carefully constructed illusion – empty pursuits that masquerade as meaning but ultimately amount to nothing more than distractions. The glittering ambitions of wealth, fame, and power entice us, yet they lead to hollow and temporary victories. We aspire to…
Resistance is Futile: Are We Going to be Assimilated?
In Star Trek: The Next Generation, the Borg are introduced as a terrifying new kind of enemy that blends biological beings with cybernetic enhancements, creating a collective society driven by a singular goal – perfection through assimilation. And as with all existence-altering movements, the definition of “perfection” is in the…
The Meaning of “Life-ing” Through Time and Its Relevance Today
The concept of “life-ing” has been experiencing a resurgence, though its origins date back to the 1880s when it was introduced by poet and novelist George MacDonald. His definition of the term was deeply rooted in a philosophical and spiritual view of life, proposing that true life begins when a…
The Measure of Wisdom: Bearing Good Fruit
In James 3:13, the Bible teaches, “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” This verse exhorts us to recognize and practice true wisdom – not in abstract knowledge or lofty words but…
Why Interconnectedness Should be More than Just an Internet Thing
We are all very familiar with the fact that the world has become, in one very big way, smaller. With the bursting onto the scene of the internet in the late 90s, we have all become connected and interconnected in a way that could never have been imagined just a…
How to Make Every Penny Count When You’re Counting Pennies
In these times of growing economic uncertainty, making every penny count is more than just a good idea- it should be a lifestyle. As the economic situation around the world continues to become more and more concerning, the once maligned idea of frugality is turning into something of a necessity…
Archaic Revival and the Cyclical Nature of Human Civilization: A Descent Toward Fundamental Balance?
Human history, with all its complexities and advancements, can often feel like a straight line of progress. Yet, as philosopher and ethnobotanist Terrence McKenna suggests in his theory of the “Archaic Revival,” life and society are far from linear. Instead, they are cyclical, always returning to a state of earlier…
From Economic Collapse to a Cooperative Future: Why Time Co-Ops and Time Banking is the Insurance We Need
Throughout history, societies have experienced numerous economic collapses and systemic breakdowns, some of which left governments and monetary systems in disarray. In such times, communities often turned to alternative economies – bartering, mutual aid networks, local currencies, time co-ops and time banks, etc. – to sustain themselves when conventional markets…