The final prediction, or thought, is around my interest in spirituality, the divine or simply that which we can’t empirically test.
My fear for 2011 is that those who have a belief and those that don’t will become more entrenched in their own particular brand of reality and fail to see that there can be something to learn from the other side.
In 2011, the UK, and perhaps many others in the world, will be celebrating the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Version of the Bible*. For me this is a highly inspirational piece of literature. To some this is the only version of the Bible that should be allowed. For others it is the version that shaped the English language as much as Shakespeare. While to others it heralded the wonderful craze of Bible bashing, the ability to quote a verse of the Bible at someone to make them feel bad and inflict their own views on others.
400 years on and the Bible will be pushed firmly into the public domain in 2011. I hope that those who think the Bible is the best thing before sliced bread and those who think it is the most divisive, harmful and mass opiate, will not retreat behind walls and simply throw insults at each other. Despite what both sides think, they (we) can both learn from each other. We are all subjective creatures however objective we’d like to think we are.
In 2011 you won’t be able to get away from the Bible, but please, don’t end up getting away from each other.
*Darren is aware that there are other religious beliefs that don’t use the Bible. However, this is really a post to suggest we all try to get along with each other, whether we have a belief or not. Yes, I know that is a bit wishy-washy and lovey, but then this is a hope for the next year
