There is a persistent anxiety about the end of the world that hangs over our society. It appears in the news, in casual conversations, and across popular culture. Whether the catastrophe takes the form of environmental collapse, artificial intelligence, or nuclear war, many of the forces shaping our world seem to point in a single direction: toward some form of societal rupture or breakdown.

So it is not surprising that so many people feel this way. The sense that we may be living through a precarious moment, perhaps even an ending, is not irrational. It is a response to real conditions. This blog begins with that recognition. Its aim is not to dismiss these concerns, but to confront them, understand them, and ask whether there might be a path through them.

I understand that this is not a pleasant topic to think about. Its not a fun topic for me to write about and contemplate. The reason I directly confront it, however, stems from my work as a carpenter. On a construction project, we run into issues all the time. Some of them are problems that would be easier to avoid, but if we did it would just cause us problems later on in the project. So we have to confront them and figure out a solution.

I feel the same way about what I call “apocalyptic anxiety”, the sense of impending doom that many of us have today. Let’s address it, understand it, and figure out a way forward.

For me, the answer is not an easy one, and it does not depend on any sudden supernatural intervention. Instead, the work is grounded in ordinary life. It begins with the development of our inner selves,  what I will describe in this project as a kind of “critical spirituality.” From there, it extends outward into how we act, how we relate to others, and how we structure the world around us.

This is not easy work. It requires effort, reflection, and often a willingness to step outside our comfort zones. It asks us to examine our assumptions, our habits, and our responsibilities to one another. It also demands a broader transformation, social as well as individual, if we are to navigate the risks of the present moment.

There is no simple program here, and no quick solution. But there is a direction. And we have a chance to see more clearly what kind of future we need to build, and what kind of people we need to become to sustain it.

That is the purpose of this blog.

To think through the crisis of our time, and to begin, however imperfectly, the work of building something better…together.
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This essay develops themes explored more fully in my recently published book, The Last Apocalypse: Consciousness, Revelation, and the Future of Humanity.

Buy my book here