Lesson 1
In her book Generation Dread, Britt Wray uncovers the eco-anxiety felt by the 10,000 participants aged 15 to 25 who took part in her surveys. She found 45% of them believed uncertainty and anger negatively impacted their daily functions of living. 75% agreed the future is frightening. 39% say they were hesitant to bring children into this world, and 56% thought humanity is doomed. Her respondents said they felt betrayed and lied to by government and institutional leaders. Feeling they have no control of their future and that those in charge are not securing their best interests, Britt believes those in her study are displaying signs of PTSD caused by institutional betrayal.
Feelings of betrayal are not new. The first few lines of their 1967 song, “Somebody to love”, Jefferson Airplane laid bare similar betrayal and trust issues of their generation.
“When the truth is found. To be lies. And all the joy. Within you dies.
Don’t you want somebody to love? Don’t you need somebody to love? Wouldn’t you love somebody to love? You better find somebody to love.”
When your trust has been broken it can be hard to rebuild it again. When rebuilding your trust, faith and love, it is essential to learn who and what you can trust. Losing trust in leaders and institutions is not limited to the secular and political sphere, many religious people have come to a lack of trust in their religious leaders as well. Their feelings of betrayal are similar to those who are experiencing eco-anxiety. Being taught and believing they were following the truth only later to find out they had been misled, has left many, in all religions, retreating into a skeptical mindset. Unsure of which leader or institution to trust and follow they drift spiritually like disabled ships on stormy water. If you find yourself with your unfounded beliefs upturned it is best to start rebuilding your beliefs on a solid foundation. As a Biblist, I have found the only words I can absolutely count on to be true come from the Bible. Have you found any of your beliefs going against what the Bible teaches? Do you have a preferred version of the Bible? Have you looked into how accurate your version is compared to the words and intents God used in his original inspired texts? Does the truth of God come from his word or is it dispensed from an institution or leader?
Ephesians 4:14-15 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
14 So then, we may no longer be children, tossed [like ships] to and fro between chance gusts of teaching and wavering with every changing wind of doctrine, [the prey of] the cunning and cleverness of unscrupulous men, [gamblers engaged] in every shifting form of trickery in inventing errors to mislead. 15 Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head, [even] Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).