Human Evolution and the Law of Three: How Authoritarianism could be our ticket to Launch
For anything new to come into being, there must be an interaction of three forces: an Affirming Force, a Denying Force, and A Reconciling Force. This is true in the creation of suns and planets, as well as in the creation of new states of Mind and Heart. This is the “Law of Three,” represented by the triangle in the middle of the Enneagram symbol.
Click here a short video from Eckhart Tolle on evolution of consciousness and the Law of Three. He reassures us that the trajectory of human evolution is not linear; there are inevitable and even necessary setbacks. He isn’t using the term “Law of Three,” but listen for it. He is talking about how the Denying Force is necessary to form the friction for the Affirming Force to strengthen, launching us into something totally new (Reconciling Force/3rd Force). When the inner Yes and inner No push back and forth against each other, they can remain at in impasse for eons, until something new is introduced. This something new can be our Inner Work, Love, Forgiveness, Understanding, Grace, Insight, etc. These higher substances transform our stuck places into a New Creation.
With this in mind, who are we to say that the rise of Authoritarianism is not a natural and necessary part of the process of evolving our collective consciousness and social systems into systems that are more compassionate, just, and dictated by Conscience? Perhaps this much pain is needed to catapult us over the threshold into brand new, creative ways of living together as humans. Suffering is usually a predictable element in the Awakening process. (Check it out for yourself on a personal level. Has not your deepest pain inspired you to change, to grow, to do something different? So too with the collective.)
We are already seeing this in the ways Minneapolis responded to the ICE invasion. The age of Left Wing Self Righteous Fundamentalist Activism has necessarily begun to fade. No more, “You must conjure your rage and protest and be an activist THIS particular way to be one of us-- otherwise you’re against us!” Instead, we suddenly see that there are hundreds of different roles and methods to promote unity and justice, to build the Kingdom of God. We’ve discovering new ways of “protest”:
bringing food and clothes to neighbors
guarding children at schools with whistles and bright yellow safety vests
writing books, essays, songs, and poetry to inspire Higher Mind and Higher Emotions
creating visual art that delves into honesty and healing
connecting with our own Shadow —doubts, fears, hatreds, shame— and welcoming it in, in order to live from a place of Wholeness instead of internal fragmentation
keeping our hearts open to “the Enemy” so as not to participate in and promote more of this “us versus them” insanity.
to work for the wellbeing of all - including “those people” on “the other side.” Because, as our Minnesotan hometown hero Paul Wellstone once said, “We all do better when we all do better.”
planting gardens and flowers even in times of war, knowing Beauty has its own inherent value and fosters Hope
praying and meditating with all of our Being (body, heart, and mind), which sends nurturing substances into the atmosphere
creating small song circles and huge Singing Resistance marches, where nervous systems are soothed and we Remember Who We Are and What We Came Here To Do: LOVE.
Notice how the rise of Authoritarianism has created a sense of spiritual urgency for yourself and those around you. We sense that we cannot “Go back” to the way things were, but instead must change our paradigm completely. This urgency promotes and speeds up our evolution. There can be no going back.
This sacred dance between Affirming Force and Denying Force is also true on an individual level. Our egos are necessary to create the friction needed to do The Work. Ego becomes “the Lion that we eat, instead of the Lion eating us.” Instead of the Ego feeding upon my Attention, my Attention and Awareness can be strengthened and fed by observing the Ego.
To quote the Enneagram Prison Project’s motto, “What if there’s nothing wrong with you?” ........... And, What if there’s also nothing wrong with the way things are unfolding on our planet??? Could I entertain that idea, from a cosmic perspective? (This is, of course, immediately offensive to the Ego because it requires on openminded posture of “not knowing.”) Cynthia Bourtgeault often says “The moral arc of the Universe bends toward Consciousness.” To align ourselves with that trajectory, we must step back and take the Long View. This doesn’t mean we don’t take action now. We do what we can in the material world to help provide safety, health, equality, and justice for all beings.
And we can also use the friction and discomfort of this political era to launch our spiritual work to a new level. History could look back and see this current political quagmire as the catalyst that kindled the spark of Awakening. Over time (and the timeline is not within our control), that spark can continue to grow and spread, and become a mighty flame. This will require my participation, and yours.
With this in mind, the Aim to Awaken becomes of utmost importance.
Onward! With Faith, Hope, and Love as our Guiding Light.
