READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES

READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES Donal Dorr

The phrase 'the signs of the times' is attributed to Jesus in the Gospels. It is a term which has come to be used quite a lot by Christians within the past generation. The phrase generally refers to some public current happening which calls our attention to a significant change that is taking place in the world. When we speak of the 'signs of the times' we are not normally referring to happenings that are seen by only a relatively small number of people. The phrase refers rather to important political, social or economic events or developments which are widely known-but whose full significance may not be widely understood.

It is usually assumed that the deeper meaning of the event or trend can be grasped only by those who 'read the sign' in the light of faith. In fact, as Christians understand it, the reading of the signs of the times, is an activity that requires a high degree of faith.

The reason why people are invited to read the signs of the times is in order to help them make a good discernment about how they ought to act. It is of course obvious that any such discernment has to be in accordance with various universal moral values and virtues. However, even full acceptance of all these values and virtues provides us with only a general framework for good behavior. It does not tell us how we should act in any particular situation. That is why we need to make a personal discernment in each specific case. In this context many Christians have come to believe that key events or trends are used by God as signs to enable us to understand something of the deeper meaning of what is taking place in the world. We can then make our discernment in the light of this deeper understanding.

SIGNS

The key point in all this is that these events or trends in the world are signs. A sign is something more than an event. It is a means of communication between intelligent beings. When we speak of 'the signs of the times' we are suggesting that God is sending us a message through these historical events. This means that, if we read the 'signs of the times' correctly, we are being enabled by God to interpret more accurately what is really going on in the world, behind the superficial appearances. Having come to understand something of the deeper significance of the situation we are then in the position to make our decision and to respond to what is going on.

A sign is a communication between people. This means that the 'signs of the times' are more than merely objective historical events. They also have a personal subjective aspect. Here we are dealing with communication between God's Spirit and us humans who wish to read these signs. The 'message' is always an interpersonal one which involves not just the objective date but also a strong emotional element. As the moral theologian Kevin Kelly says, it involves 'intelligently listening to the deepest hopes and desires, sufferings and anxieties, of the human family today.'

This means that one aspect of the signs is the emotional responses and reactions of people to the events and trends in the world. And we are not just observing these reactions but resonating with them. Kelly is suggesting that is it not a matter of noting the events and responses in a coldly intellectual manner; rather we are allowing ourselves to be profoundly moved by the deep feelings of people as they react to what is happening. Consequently, it is not helpful to make too sharp a distinction between the signs as objective events and our subjective reading of the signs.

The central point here is that the way the 'message' is heard by us is by allowing it to touch our hearts. So, in reading 'the signs of the times', we look first of all at our own feeling response to what is going on in the world and the reactions of people to these events. This is well put by Kevin Kelly who says, 'the signs of the times have to be felt.' He goes on to speak of how the 'the human spirit, moved by God's own Spirit, recoils in horror from whatever is dehumanizing and violating respect for persons in our world today.' Our reaction to what is happening around us is an emotional one, coming in the form of 'anger, repugnance, horror, fear, anxiety, as well as the positive emotions of hope, expectation, determination, courage, etc.'

The implication here is that the Holy Spirit is evoking in us a reaction what is happening- one that is similar in some degree to God's own reaction. When we see and feel people being oppressed or degraded, we share the anger and sadness of God at this violation of human dignity. When we find the Earth being polluted and exploited, once again our reaction of outrage mirrors that of God. On the other hand, when we see people being treated respectfully and observe genuine human development taking place, our joyful reaction is in some sense a share in the delight of God that the world and its people are living and acting in justice and love as God wants us to live.