From the 60s to Now: The Fade of Discernment and the Call to Wisdom
There was a time when demonstrations carried the fragrance
of conscience, courage, and unity — a spirit that echoed through the streets,
inviting the world to listen. In the 1960s, peaceful protest wasn’t about
performance or division. It was about truth spoken with grace, often at great
personal cost.
Think of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. leading marches
for civil rights in the United States. Among those who stood beside him was the
Greek Orthodox Archbishop Iakovos, defying expectations by walking
alongside a Black Baptist preacher. This wasn’t about religious identity or
politics — it was Sophia, the Divine Wisdom of Christian tradition,
leaping across cultural divides to make herself practical.
This courageous action is the very embodiment of Binah,
the understanding aspect of the Divine Feminine in Jewish mysticism.
If Sophia is the sudden, blinding flash of divine
justice, Binah is the sacred matrix that gives it shape, structure, and
a pair of walking shoes.
This force is not soft or abstract, but quietly courageous,
deeply reflective, and grounded in right action. Binah doesn’t shout; she
discerns. She listens. She takes the raw spark of Sophia’s wisdom, births it
into the physical world, and sustains the march with patience and love.
From Sophia to the Streets: What Changed?
Fast forward to today. Something’s shifted — not just in
Australia, but across the Western world. Protests still happen, but the spirit
feels different. Gone is the tone of humility, the inner authority rooted in
moral clarity. In its place, we often find anger masquerading as truth,
celebrity over substance, and a narrative that divides rather than heals.
We see this tragic shift vividly in how our society
processes collective trauma and terror. Consider the horrifying Bondi Beachmassacre in December 2025, where an antisemitic terrorist attack turned a
peaceful “Chanukah by the Sea” celebration into a tragedy that claimed
15 innocent lives.
While the majority of the population felt profound grief and
concern, a deeply troubling element within society actively tried to downplay
the slaughter. During subsequent reviews, those who gathered or attempted to
speak up about the targeted violence faced swift intimidation and threats
across social media. For many everyday citizens, it felt as though substantial
sections of the mainstream media fell silent or glossed over these compounding
injustices, leaving the burden of speaking out to select independent voices
like 2GB or Sky News.
When those who demand justice for victims of an antisemitic
massacre are aggressively labelled as "racist" simply for speaking
up, true justice is subverted. It stands in jarring, painful contrast to the
streets being filled with highly disruptive contemporary demonstrations — where
public spaces are blocked for prayers in the middle of political marches. This
display is a world away from the unifying, respectful ethos of Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. leading marches alongside Archbishop Iakovos.
Take also the Harbour Bridge protest in Sydney, which
was heavily promoted as a “March for Humanity.” On the surface, it
echoed the calls of past justice movements. But if you looked closer, stark
contradictions emerged:
- Aggressive
Rhetoric: Some protesters chanted threats like “destroy the bridge”
— on the very infrastructure they claimed to march across for peace.
- Extremist
Imagery: Banners displayed photos of known terrorists — yet this was
heavily downplayed by political figures who later claimed they “didn’t
see it.”
- Selective
Empathy: Not a single word was uttered about the hostages being
brutally held by Hamas at that time. No yellow ribbons. No calls for their
safe return. Just a cold, calculated silence.
This is not Sophia. This is not Binah. It’s not even
compassion.
Celebrities and the Death of Discernment
Another troubling trend is the increasing reliance on actors
and influencers to shape public thought. Whether it’s net-zero policies, global
conflicts, or truth-telling in politics — we’re increasingly told what to think
by faces trained to perform, not to lead.
This sends a subtle but dangerous message: that the
average person can’t be trusted to think, and that moral clarity can be
outsourced to a PR campaign. In contrast, the great movements of the past
trusted the people. They encouraged discernment, not division.
The “Woke” Spiritual Guard
In Australia today, there’s a noticeable shift: traditional
religions, especially Christianity and Judaism, are increasingly sidelined —
while “spirituality,” as long as it remains vague, non-confrontational, and
palatable, is celebrated.
- Selective
Respect: In many Western circles, Christianity is often mocked or
dismissed, while Eastern or Indigenous spiritualities are respected, even
idealised.
- Quiet
Exclusion: At events such as the Mind Body Spirit Festival
, this contrast became glaringly obvious. A Jewish healer was initially excluded due to her Jewish identity — a decision only reversed after public protests raised concerns about antisemitism. The question remains: why exclude her in the first place? The reversal appeared to be a form of damage control; without public pressure, this quiet form of discrimination would have gone unchecked. Sadly, antisemitism today often operates in these subtle, socially tolerated ways. - Political
Inconsistency: Politicians often identify with faith to appeal to
certain voters, but avoid acknowledging it during formal, historic
occasions. When Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was sworn into office, he
chose a secular affirmation rather than taking an oath on the Bible,
explaining that a Prime Minister should represent people of all faiths.
While this may appear inclusive, it raises deeper questions about
authenticity. If he publicly identifies as Catholic, why avoid expressing
that identity during such a significant milestone? Meanwhile, former Prime
Ministers like Tony Abbott and Scott Morrison faced intense public
criticism for openly expressing their Christian faith.
There seems to be an unspoken rule in the general public: religious
expression is only welcome when it fits the dominant cultural narrative.
Otherwise, it is labelled problematic or inappropriate.
- The
Shield of Labels: Criticism of groups like Hamas is often quickly labelled
as “Islamophobia,” while the violent acts committed by the same group are
overlooked or excused.
- Politicised
Truth: “Truth-telling” has become weaponized — used more to divide
than to heal. What could be an invitation to reconciliation becomes a
narrative of blame, separating people into strict categories of “us” and
“them.”
This climate reflects a loss of deeper spiritual
discernment. It is far removed from Binah — the Divine Understanding
that sees beyond surface labels and embraces nuance, context, and inner truth.
It also distorts the essence of Sophia — Christ’s wisdom — who is not
only compassionate but clear, not only gentle but discerning. True wisdom does
not cancel, silence, or polarise. It integrates, reveals, and guides with both
love and truth.
A Christian Reflection on Wisdom
In Christian tradition, Sophia (Wisdom) is seen as an
attribute of Christ, described in the book of Proverbs and the Psalms as the
one who stood beside God during creation. In the Orthodox liturgy, before the
Gospel is read, the priest cries out:
“Σοφία! Ορθοί!” — Wisdom! Let us stand aright!
It is a call to sharp attention. Not just to hear the Word,
but to receive it with humility, stillness, and openness. Christ did not
coerce; He invited. He didn’t cancel; He transformed.
True Wisdom is never loud or trendy. She invites the soul
into silence, discernment, and integrity. In both Jewish and Christian thought,
wisdom builds up. It doesn’t tear down.
The Bigger Picture: A Global Phenomenon
The loss of balance we’re seeing isn’t unique to Australia.
As goes America, so go many other Western nations. Movements that began with a
vital, necessary message have quickly hardened into rigid us-and-them
ideologies.
Dialogue has become dangerous. Forgiveness is treated as
betrayal. Justice is regularly confused with mere punishment. Social media
algorithms compound this by rewarding outrage over insight, leaving people
afraid to speak—or worse, repeating scripts they don’t believe just to stay
"on the right side of history."
But what if the right side of history is actually the side
of wisdom — quiet, firm, and completely overlooked?
A Call to Return
Now, more than ever, we need Binah — true
understanding. We need Sophia — divine and human wisdom, made practical.
We need discernment over division, and spiritual depth over shallow activism.
Let us return to what was sacred in the spirit of the 60s —
not just the aesthetics of protest, but the inner fire of righteousness, deeply
rooted in love, clarity, and humility.
The Power of a Single Step
It is easy to look at the vast landscape of cultural
division and feel entirely overwhelmed. We wonder how a single voice can cut
through the noise of algorithms, or how quiet discernment can stand against the
roar of the crowd.
But history reminds us that major shifts rarely begin with a
multitude. They begin with individuals who refuse to compromise their inner
truth. The monumental march in Selma didn’t start at the destination; it began
with a single, courageous step forward by people who chose clarity over
comfort.
Real change does not require us to match the volume of the
world. It asks us to change the cadence of our own stride. When we choose to
listen instead of shout, to seek context instead of passing judgment, and to
speak truth with grace rather than anger, we are taking that step. We become
the matrix through which Binah and Sophia can move.
You do not need to alter the entire cultural landscape
tomorrow. You only need to align your next step with wisdom.
A Biblical Anchor
In a world that demands we rush to the frontlines of every
loud and trendy grievance, Scripture offers a different path — a reminder that
the path of the righteous is built on steady, divinely directed steps.
As the Psalmist beautifully captured:
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He
delights in his way.” — Psalm 37:23
When we allow our steps to be ordered by Divine Wisdom
rather than cultural pressure, we find a firm footing. Let us stand aright,
move with humility, and trust that even the smallest step taken in love and
truth has the power to reshape the world.
