Lesson 3: Cooperation and Sharing
”Love your neighbor” could be rephrased “Masters, act as servants.” If we have power over others, we are to use it to care for them, not to take advantage of them.
Thinking about this brought to mind two ethical observations that rang true 25 years ago and still do today. Both were propositions about changes needed in our society as we approached the millennium.
The first was at a Peace Church conference where the presenter proposed that the big ethical challenge in the next century would be replacing competition with cooperation.
He claimed winning has become the ultimate value for judging success. We teach students how to compete in our schools and reward citizens for besting others in the workplace.
He made a convincing case that this has created a crisis dividing our communities. It has enabled the rich to get richer and caused the poor to get poorer. At best, this has enforced the power of the status quo. At worst, it has destroyed meaningful social relationships.
He argued we have to begin promoting cooperation that encourages people to work together for the common good. This is the way Christ taught, and it is what is needed now.
The second vision was at the Wednesday night potluck super shared by the traveling symposium that followed Ivan Illich around the world. Wolfgang Sachs suggested the big question facing the 21st century would be, “How much is enough?” Our society has based the good life on growth. We rely on the market and technology to continually produce more goods and services so we can accumulate more things.
This way of life has been challenged by climate change, over-population, pollution, waste, water depletion, and more. It has reduced much of life to material transactions between strangers. And of course, it has created the super-rich who seek to hold power over others.
Sachs called for learning to appreciate personal relationships such as friendships that go beyond self-satisfaction. This would value sharing over taking and distribution over accumulation.
Both proposals offer ways to address the problems we face from the tremendous power of modern technology. Both demand major changes in the way we think and act.
Frontline Study is an online discussion of the scriptures, inviting you to share your comments and your reflections on each weekly topic. Simply click on the "Add Reply" text at the top of each post to see what others have posted and to add your thoughts.
Both proposals offer ways to address the problems we face from the tremendous power of modern technology. Both demand major changes in the way we think and act.
Agreed Fritz – and as we look from afar (Aust) we see in a sense the opposite happening in our beloved US. If only the admin would give some threads of hope.
Trump seems to be weaponising US exceptionalism.
This way of life has been challenged by climate change, over-population, pollution, waste, water depletion, and more. It has reduced much of life to material transactions between strangers. And of course, it has created the super-rich who seek to hold power over others.
Buddy/Mate this prosody is, for me, poetry. Very well written almost a benediction of despair. With some hope.
Thanks for this Lesson. ciao paul