Evolving Faith?

From the Animal Totem Tarot, the Hierophant; from the Blum/Gern Rune Cards, 'Eihwaz/Defense:'

The polar bear's message (from the companion book) states: "The world in which I live is changing fast. It is no longer as safe and reliable as it once was. The signs of this unstoppable change are all around me. But despite this, I must have faith." But is this a faith that holds onto tradition like a sinking lifeboat? Or is it a faith that evolves and adapts? I have to agree with Richard Rohr who said, "Religion tends to prefer and protect the status quo or the supposedly wonderful past, yet what we now see is that religion often simply preserves its own power and privilege." And that rigid power and privilege harm more than they heal. The Rune Eihwaz is about dealing with problems rather than bulldozing over them. Blum adds, "through inconvenience and discomfort, growth is promoted." Change will happen whether we close our eyes and minds to it or not. The best defense is in learning how to adapt to reality when we find we are powerless to change it.

According to Darwin’s Origin of Species, it is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself. Applying this theoretical concept to us as individuals, we can state that the civilization that is able to survive is the one that is able to adapt to the changing physical, social, political, moral, and spiritual environment in which it finds itself.

~ Leon C. Megginson