by John Howard.
Over forty years ago now, before candidating for the Methodist Ministry I studies Physics and Engineering. One of the most philosophically challenging of the concepts of Physics is the idea of ‘entropy.’ It’s often described as the measure of disorganisation. The second law of thermodynamics indicates that every process know to human kind increases entropy. While the entropy of a particular object can diminish the effect upon the total environment is always a net increase. In his book ‘Thermodynamis’ Prof. G.J. Van Wyler*[1] comments “The question that arises is how did the universe get into the state of reduced entropy in the first place, since all natural processes known to us tend to increase entropy? Are there processes unknown to us such as “continual creation,” which tend to decrease entropy?” (He adds “The author has found that the second law tends to increase his conviction that there is a creator who has the answer for the future destiny of man and the universe.”).
You may well be relieved to be assured that this article is not on ‘thermodynamics’ or ‘entropy,’ rather I would like to look at the question – “Is there a parallel law of political change – that every political movement increases the disorganisation of human society?”
I write this article in the closing days of 2024. The Syrian regime of Bashir Assad has fallen. Back in 2011, following the ‘Arab spring,’ the uprising of young people across much of the Arab world, seemed to herald a new age of politics in the Middle East. However the subsequent history has been one of conflict, chaos and increased disorganisation of the politics of the region. Other periods of history could be cited with similar effects, increasing the complexity, the disorganisation of the political world.
Mark 13 24 reads: “But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.”
These apocalyptic passages of the bible and the Book of Revelation in particular seem to describe a scene of physical and political chaos, disorganisation at its most extreme. Perhaps Revelation 18’s description of the fall of Babylon expresses this most clearly: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! It has become a dwelling place of demons, a haunt of every foul spirit, a haunt of every foul bird, a haunt of every foul and hateful beast. For all of the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxury.”
It feels like a testimony of despair. Is the inevitable fate of the world a spiral of decline towards the ultimate in disorganised chaos? All decaying at the directing of an inevitability like the law of increasing entropy? Such a case could be made.
Van Wylen though points towards the possibility of something that counters the ever increasing entropy – something to do with creation, and associates that with a creator holding the destiny of the universe.
Christian faith believes that this ‘creator’ is none other than the God of Love. Could it be that in the nature of the creator there is the one counter to the ever increasing chaos of the political world? We say that “Justice is the public face of love.” Is justice the counterbalance to chaos? Is the achieving of justice, true pure justice – an aspect of the nature of the divine – the antidote to the political chaos we see as we look around the world?
Surely the events of 7th October 2023 and the subsequent slaughter in Gaza, Lebanon, the West Bank and Syria illustrate the truth that violence only breeds more violence. This only increases the disorganisation, the political entropy of the world. Is there an antidote?
Jeremiah looks forward to one of the line of David “The days are surely coming , says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous branch, and he shall reign as King and deal wisely, and execute justice and righteousness in the land.” (Jeremiah 23 5. NRSV).
Matthew quotes Isaiah identifying his prophecy as being fulfilled in Jesus “I will put my Spirit in him and he will proclaim justice to the gentiles.” – “He will not break a bruised reed or quench a smouldering wick until he brings justice to victory.” (Matthew 12, 18 & 20 NRSV).
In the midst of a world seeming to spiral down into an abyss of chaos and disorganisation I find this assurance of the integration of justice with Jesus as a comfort. I hear my Muslim and Christian friends say “God will not always allow this violence.” In the nature of God is perhaps the only antidote to the chaos of the world.
[1] Thermodynamics, GJ Van Wyler Wiley Toppan publishers. 1959.
Theology Everywhere 