Our World in Transition: Making sense of a changing world.

By Diarmuid O'Murchu

 

Diarmuid O'Murchu is a priest and social psychologist currently based in London, who has lectured internationally and written extensively on new paradigms from a multi-disciplinary point of view.

 

I have only recently come across his writings.  His books give insight, challenge and very much extend my horizons and thinking.  I realise how blinkered I have been about the history of the cosmos, its current evolutionary movements and just how small and insignificant I am in the process.  O'Murchu brings a refreshing mix from his wide understanding and knowledge of life, science, psychology and theology to help us understand our rapidly changing world.

 

Although written in 1992, his book Our World in Transition is very current for today.  He attempts to read the signs of the times and explore their implications for our world.  He sees us at the beginning of a new threshold; the old securities are gone though some still seek shelter from these.  And why not?  They have served many very well. But what happens if we continue to cling to these?

 

What he describes as happening as the world evolves and makes substantial shifts, while bringing insecurity, is also exciting if we can ride the waves to get there. Amidst this turmoil our systems and institutions, including the church, are becoming more inept and incapable of grappling with the realities of our world.  This, of course, only serves to create further ambiguity and instability. New possibilities at this point are as yet vague.

He describes the transition between the ‘old' and the ‘new' and transition as we know brings chaos and insecurity – an explanation as to why things are as they are in our world, our churches and some of our uncertainties of faith?

 

Throughout the book he gives an excellent series of summaries of the shifts in different spheres of life paradigms – systems, institutions, spirituality, thinking, authority, theological perspectives, and evolutionary growth, to name a few.

 

He sees that people have no option but to change, as the world changes around them.  He encourages us to become informed, to understand something of what is going on and thus ‘participate consciously' in this new evolutionary thrust so that the ‘long-term experience is one of breakthrough rather than breakdown.' 

 

Jenny McIntosh