A Better World IS Possible

by Frederick Drew Robinson
Otisville Worship Group

It is generally believed amidst the chaos and cares of the world that the resolution of strife and discord is impossible, that it is systemic and therefore immune to the force of change. One’s concern may be that individual action to bring about change is futile. It can be discouraging to view longstanding problems that affect the human condition and realize that at their root are institutional and social structures which reinforce their influence in our lives.

But what of the possible? What of those things which are within our limitless capacity and abilities? The stuff of dreams for the future, the cultivation of hope? It requires personal as well as collective power, courage, and determination to bring about a new way to direct our best efforts toward the realization of a better world.

From the beginning of time there has been the belief that a better world is possible. Without this firm conviction there can be no achievement in the improvement of the human condition. Progress is not a product of wish fulfillment, it is the product of sustained struggle.

It will never be enough to wish there to be a better world. We must build the social and institutional structures that will ensure that the benefits derived from our efforts toward peace and justice accrue to all. We must create a theoretical framework around the concepts of justice and equality that will serve as a blueprint for the building of a new world order. We must get our hands dirty and do the work.

A recent example can be seen in the removals of monuments that venerate supremacist ideology. More than the removal of granite and stone, they signify the removal of cultural ideals which have led to the oppression of others. The removal of all such symbols and insignia demonstrates our belief that they do not represent the core values of our society. The real work involves affirming and, in some cases, redefining what our core values are.

The pandemic which has caused the loss of so many lives and the destruction of so many dreams has awakened us to the need for such a redefinition. The message is clear. Either we roll up our sleeves and tackle the systemic problems we have faced for so long or we will actually take a step backward in the march of human history. This is not a time to be hopeless. It is a time to be hopeful. A crisis such as this demands our best effort, our best skill and knowledge applied to the necessary task of making the world a better place.

A better world is possible. It is within the realm of our greatest ideas. It is within the reach of each outstretched hand—one person to the other—with love, care, and concern for the attainment of peace and prosperity for all.

A better world is possible when we see the senselessness of war. A better world is possible when no one is homeless or hungry. A better world is possible when no one suffers the insecurity that results from income inequality.

A better world is possible when collectively we realize that God is active in the affairs of mankind.