Reading
112. Yet we can once more broaden our vision. We have the freedom needed to limit and direct technology; we can put it at the service of another type of progress, one which is healthier, more human, more social, more integral. … An authentic humanity, calling for a new synthesis, seems to dwell in the midst of our technological culture, almost unnoticed, like a mist seeping gently beneath a closed door. …
Reflection
After considering how we can be caught up in the technocratic paradigm, Pope Francis notes that there are alternative paradigms out of which some people are living and working. For example, the growing interest in the minimalist lifestyle counters the consumer lifestyle. Businesses that focus on sustainable practices and promote a circular economy counter the prevalent throw-away culture. These are people who have broadened their vision and chosen a different way. They give us hope.
- What is our vision?
- What guides our actions?
Action
In his book, Commanding Hope: The Power We Have To Renew A World In Peril, Canadian author Thomas Homer-Dixon refers to Stephanie May who in the 1950s challenged the prevailing “wisdom” of the day that saw nuclear testing as the price to pay for peace. Her hope was built on honesty, astuteness, and persistence and empowered by a vision of how the world should be. Read this review of the book.
- What other stories of transformational hope can you point to?
