The Easter season reminds us of the core message of hope for Christians around the world, the belief in and experience of love’s victory over evil and life over death. We take comfort in the hope of our own salvation; however we may define it. Another aspect of Easter is the observance of history that is too important to forget. It is an account of history that reminds us of how depraved we as human beings can be. It is history that describes the horrific acts of tyrannical power, when someone like Jesus stands up and contradicts their version of truth, reality, and power.
We tend to assume something as terrible as crucifixion would not happen today. Collectively humanity has evolved in many ways; in scientific discoveries, information and artificial intelligence, communication that is global, and more advanced social structures and forms of government like democracy. And yet, we still are vulnerable to our more basic nature and the evil that self-centeredness brings. There are those still alive who remember well the evils and traumas of fascism, Nazism, and communism and the kind of atrocities that human beings are capable of.
I recently finished reading the book On Tyranny, by Timothy Snyder and I highly recommend it. It is easy to read but not so easy to take in and digest. Dr. Snyder reminds us of European history of the 20th century that shows us how societies can break, democracies can fail, ethics can collapse, and ordinary men can find themselves standing over death pits with guns in their hands. He notes that Americans today are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism, Nazism, or communism in the 20th century. Our one advantage is that we might learn from their experience. History allows us to see patterns and make judgements and hopefully helps us avoid repeating it.
Dr. Snyder points out the frightening parallels between the democratic society in Germany in the 1930’s and the United States of today. He states that in 1933, many reasonable people in Germany assumed there were several crucial factors that hold powers in check, and those in power would not want to go against those checks and balances. The mistake, then and now, is to assume that rulers who came to power through institutions cannot change or destroy those very institutions – even when that is exactly what they have announced that they will do. It took less than a year for the new Nazi order to consolidate. By the end of 1933, Germany had become a one-party state in which all major institutions had been humbled.
This book also describes many ways that we, as citizens and human beings can stand up to evil and practice the kind of compassion and inclusion that Jesus taught. This is not a time to be passive or to naively assume this could not happen here. From an integral perspective, it appears that many of those at the traditional Blue level of development have bought into the myth of restoring some version of the good old days, while ignoring the self-centered, power hungry Red level values and behaviors of the current administration. On the other hand, some of those at the Green, post-modern level have pushed things like DEI initiatives beyond the ethics of empathy and inclusion and made them into rigid programs that must be enforced, whether you agree or not. We have lost diversity of thought and the willingness to listen to each other on both sides of the political and developmental spectrum.
Therapy Tip
We can and we must do better. We need to confront our individual and collective histories and shame that predispose us to feel unworthy and afraid, react defensively, and blame others rather than taking responsibility for our own perspectives and behaviors. We can be humble enough to listen and learn from each other and create rational, ethical, and humanistic policies that work in today’s world. We can learn from Jesus, who practiced genuine love and compassion, and showed us how we need stand up to tyranny even though the cost may be high. We need to think for ourselves, but we also need each other to overcome our sense of isolation and shame. Remember the hope of Easter and the message of love that grants life and dignity to all people.