The Axial Age.

The word Axial comes from a German word which means both axis and pivot.

So we are to understand the Axial Age as a pivotal period in history.

Pivotal means both important and turning.

So we can envisage this period as a turning point in humankind's understanding of God and life.

Covering the period from 800 to 300 BCE this period saw the emergence of philosophical and religious conceptions previously unknown.

Before this period the majority of religions were based on animal sacrifices to the gods.

Humankind sought to appease angry nature gods and win their favor.

But during the Axial Age humankind developed the concept of moral principles.

These principles were attributed to the gods.

And humankind was expected to live up to them.

This resulted in the Law of Judaism, the moral principles of Confucius, the Philosophies of Plato and Aristotle and new religious conceptions in Iran and India.

This survives today as the idea that God embodies these moral principles and we are expected to adhere to them.

Unfortunately this is accompanied by the expectation that if we don't live up to these moral principles we will be punished with eternal damnation.

But this is a misconception.

The truth is that what we perceive as moral principles are in fact a reflection of God's goodness.

God is good: truthful, honest, reliable, generous, compassionate, forgiving, merciful etc..

It is our fear that makes us expect punishment.

But there is no fear in God.

Only Love for us.

Perhaps the time has come to leave these primitive ideas about vengeance, punishment, judgement, and anger behind.

Julian of Norwich said that God has only one attribute and that is Love.

God loves us.

The rest is fear.   


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