Why This Story Is Valuable
While researching the Red Book series, I’d occasionally read comments linking Jung’s work to Gnosticism. I was raised by Christians, and although I’m agnostic myself (if I had to put a label on it), I’m still interested in the history of religion and more recently whether the stories hold any value in the modern world. I eventually made my way to an Alex O’Connor video with Bart Erhman where they outlined the core aspects of the Gnostic Creation Story, from the Apocryphon of John. Which then led me to a translation of those texts here:
http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/apocjn-davies.html
It’s a wild take on the ‘true’ nature of Christianity. That turns a lot about that tradition on its head. If you want to know how, I recommend you watch the video. I think like any story it can be interpreted in a multitude of ways. If you’re like me, with a slight technological bias, you might draw parallels with simulation theory, I enjoy finding relevant symbolism in these kinds of stories, but above all else the gnostic world view felt like an appropriate lens to view the current state of geopolitics and global affairs.
The story itself is about a narcissistic and jealous ruler who projects a false narrative to his subordinates with the intention of control and manipulation. It’s a theme that we’re all too familiar with and I think that’s why the story resonates with so many people.
Because there’s this glimmer of hope that each and every one of us has the capacity to break away from a broken system, that we have the potential to see through the lies and do something about it, and that’s a powerful archetypical idea.
I think a lot of people in society feel helpless as the bigger players make moves that we can’t fully comprehend, yet whose actions cause significant harm to ourselves and those around us.
The messaging in this story, at least to me, reminds me of the butterfly effect, where a single flap of a butterfly’s wings can cause a sequence of events that changes the nature of reality for everyone.
I think we need more butterflies aligning and flapping in a better direction, and if nothing else I’d like this video to imbue a sense of hope in those who watch it. To help them understand that they can make an impact, and that there’s still a reason to try and do the right thing, even in a world that doesn’t seem to reward it.
