Hierarchies and Egalitarianism

Technology has often made a serious impact, first on the activities wherein it is applied, then like ripples from a stone thrown into a pond, it affects the culture in many ways.  The World Wide Web with its capabilities for interaction among widely diverse groups of people has made a radical impact on the flow and use of information, and its ripple effects in the culture have led some to predict the demise of organizational hierarchies and the advent of egalitarianism in the culture, in ways yet unforeseen.

While the technology of the world wide web and its development does inspire egalitarian visions,  I doubt very much if hierarchies will become obsolete.  Hierarchies are built into the world, even the universe itself.  Astronomers rank stars according to their magnitude.  Biologists observe dominance and submission among apes.  Human enterprises, including developers of the World Wide Web, need to form some kind of organization to accomplish anything.  Even so-called “open source” communities eventually organize themselves into something formal, distinguishing themselves from those who are not members of the community. A computer program needs a “main” and other program segments to be called by the “main” as needed.  The most basic social unit, the family, needs structure. Finally, there is the hierarchy between the spiritual and the material.

Hierarchies will always be with us.  The promise of egalitarianism to be brought about by the WWW is merely a dream. The WWW may be considered as a contributor to the loss of absolute truth and the rise in moral relativism as participants increasingly disdain authority and defer to the power of the crowd or the collective as facilitated by the WWW.

The Old and the New

In the Old Testament, God showed His acceptance of the sacrifice of bulls and goats by sending fire from heaven to consume the slain animals.

In the New Testament God showed His acceptance of the sacrifice of the slain Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, by raising Him from the dead.

See, what a morning, gloriously bright,
With the dawning of hope in Jerusalem;
Folded the grave-clothes, tomb filled with light,
As the angels announce, "Christ is risen!"
See God's salvation plan,
Wrought in love, borne in pain, paid in sacrifice,
Fulfilled in Christ, the Man,
For He lives: Christ is risen from the dead!

See Mary weeping, "Where is He laid?"
As in sorrow she turns from the empty tomb;
Hears a voice speaking, calling her name;
It's the Master, the Lord raised to life again!
The voice that spans the years,
Speaking life, stirring hope, bringing peace to us,
Will sound till He appears,
For He lives: Christ is risen from the dead!

One with the Father, Ancient of Days,
Through the Spirit who clothes faith with certainty.
Honor and blessing, glory and praise
To the King crowned with pow'r and authority!
And we are raised with Him,
Death is dead, love has won, Christ has conquered;
And we shall reign with Him,
For He lives: Christ is risen from the dead!

(lyrics by Keith Getty)