Leap-Frogging
In an earlier book, Wake Up, South Africa!, I defined the “leap-frog option” in relation to South Africa and its future, as a way for it to avoid falling into the “catch-up option” that most people assume must be how South Africa will “succeed.” In choosing to “leap frog,” rather than play “catch up,” South Africa would question the conventional wisdom of the West, rely on its own resources, develop its own solutions, and affirm its confidence in its own abilities. It would refuse to copy the West, or dance to the tune called by Western “experts.” Choosing the “leap-frog option” would result in South Africa reaching a new place by leaping over the West and its ways.
But in focusing on South Africa, I don’t mean to imply that leap-frogging is something appropriate or possible only in South Africa: It is possible anywhere change is needed, anywhere people are behind the eight-ball of Second Wave reality, that is anywhere people are marginalized and suffering.
Features of Leap-Frogging
Leap-frogging is a form of change with key features that distinguish it from reform movements or traditional change processes in Second Wave. Some of these features include :
_taking up personal change first. Leap-froggers realize that all lasting, genuine change begins with the individual. If we want to see change “out there,” we can begin only one place: with ourselves. Doing anything else is simply a form of projection (seeing the “speck” in the other guy’s eye, without tending to the “log” in one’s own eye).[1] Leap-froggers refuse to project. They look within first, and change themselves. They also recognize that any “problem” or outer situation is a reflection of an inner state of being, and so they begin with self-analysis, to determine how they are implicated in the problem “out there.” This process leads to another feature of leap-frogging: transformation.
_leap-frogging change is transformative change. It works at deep levels, to reclaim both lives and Nature. It supports natural forces and operates consonant with the laws of Nature (including those of ecology, which Second Wave business and economics ignores and denigrates). Transformational change takes 3 forms: in perception (how reality is “seen”); in response (how we react to what we perceive); and in assimilation (how we take in and integrate the new information we see). The result is that both people and their circumstances are irrevocably altered.
_leap-frogging turns problems into opportunities. Where Second Wave people see “problems,” leap-froggers see great potential for learning and growth. Carl Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist, noted that problems are never solved so much as they are outgrown.[2] Faced with a “problem,” leap-froggers ask themselves, “How is this situation calling on me to grow or change?” And this shift in attitude (from the negative of the Second Wave mind-set to the positive of the Third Wave) calls up creativity and resourcefulness.
_leap-frogging starts where people are. It is local, operating at the grass-roots, with actions that are what Glenn and Mildred Leet call “trickle up.”[3] Rather than looking to the government or outside experts or international aid agencies for a pile of money, leap-froggers look around, at the resources that lie at hand. And even when they have little or no capitalization, they find ways to foster change, often with low-tech solutions that are more suited to their circumstances than those that the World Bank or I.M.F. would import. This is by design, thanks to another feature of leap-frogging: building empowerment.
_leap-froggers stress people doing for themselves. This is how empowerment happens. Individuals take responsibility for their own lives, with no “bail outs” or interference from Western “experts” full of their own importance. Leap-froggers realize that the goal is the process: We empower others by regarding them as responsible, competent, capable and then standing back, giving them adequate space to rise to high expectations.
_leap-frogging challenges convention, tradition and the status quo. Leap-froggers are inner-directed, rather than tradition-directed (looking to the past for guidance about what to do) or other-directed (looking to other people for guidance).[4] Leap-froggers listen to their own inner voice, in dialog with The Force. As a result, they question tribal traditions, unfair laws, economic inequities, the “scientism” of Western culture, and a host of other limited and limiting belief systems. In this way, leap-frogging is culturally subversive. Not content to fight “old” wars, leap-froggers look to radical approaches (i.e. approaches that get at the “roots” [Latin radix]) in their quest to create a world that works for everyone.
_leap-frogging is done mostly by the marginalized. This follows from the law of the retarding lead, which suggests that the leaders of any society are “retarded” in their leadership, and so any push for change is more likely to come from those for whom the old system doesn’t work well. As I noted in the essay on “waking up,” there is a close connection between “waking up” and developing social concern and sensitivity about injustice. So people who are awake are likely to join the marginalized in leap-frogging activities.
Leap-frogging may seem like something new. Certainly the term is novel. But the activity itself is archetypal, i.e. people of courage, inspired by The Force, acting as change agents outside the bounds of their culture and place, have been doing it since the beginning of time. To see examples of this, we need only consult the wisdom literature of humanity: the Bible, the Koran, the Pali canon, the Bhagavadgita. The pages of these sources are replete with examples of people taking up their individual responsibility, accepting the challenge of personal change, achieving transformation, turning problems into opportunities, moving into their own power, working with those less fortunate, developing visions to inspire and energize others, and challenging the status quo.
An Example of Leap-Frogging and its Archetypal Features
An example from one of these ancient sources will help describe what leap-frogging looks like “on the ground.” It is from a Western source (since I know the Western wisdom literature better than Eastern).
The original text is from the Bible’s Old Testament, the book of Judges, chapters 6 through 8, which tells the story of Gideon.[5] The time of the story is c. 1100 B.C.E. The place, southern Canaan, in what is now part of Israel and the Palestinian territories. The leap-frogger is a man named Gideon, but, as the archetypal version indicates, the person could be anyman/anywoman who faces a momentous challenge motivated by Divine guidance.
In the following table, the original text is reproduced (in the New International translation) in the left column, and the archetypal level is provided in the right. Read both columns. Then go back and re-read the right (archetypal) column, relating it to some problem you are aware of in your life, your community or your country.
The Historical Account (Judges 6-8) |
The Archetypal Level |
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6:1.Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. |
A community faces severe problems, including loss of freedom, inability to control its own destiny, economic losses, and oppression. |
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2.Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds. |
Many of the people are afraid and defensive and go into hiding, or take refuge behind strong walls. |
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3.Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country. 4.They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys. 5.They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count the men and their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it. |
The labors of this community bring little harvest: they have little to show for their efforts and become frustrated. |
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6.Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord for help. |
In their need and anguish, the community appeals for help from The Force, from which they had fallen away (i.e. they had stopped dialoging with their inner wisdom). |
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7.When the Israelites cried to the Lord because of Midian, 8.he sent them a prophet, who said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 9.I snatched you from the power of Egypt and from the hand of all your oppressors. I drove them from before you and gave you their land. 10.I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me.” |
A prophetic voice in their midst reminds them of their history of experiences in dealing with, and being delivered by The Force, and how caring and beneficent it has been for them. This voice also points out how the community has gone astray, putting its faith in false gods, and neglecting to maintain the inner dialog with The Force. [The subsequent action is driven by need, suffering and the response of The Force to the appeal by humans in the midst of their misery.] |
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11.The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. 12.When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” |
A messenger from The Force appears in an ordinary setting. This representative is watchful, patient, present and willing to wait. In accordance with the law of the retarding lead, this messenger shows himself to the “dummling,” that archetypal figure who is the least, the youngest, the marginalized. The messenger reminds the dummling of the presence of the Self [i.e. the personal inner archetype of The Force] within him, and also of the fact that he has warrior-like power. |
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13.“But sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.” |
Note the “sir:” Human beings often fail, at first, to recognize messengers from The Force, regarding them as ordinary people. In most cases they look like ordinary people (so we should be careful how we react to strangers in our midst, for we might be entertaining angels.) The “why” question is characteristic: Leap froggers often wonder about the meaning of recent events. They also are often initially skeptical of the Divine message, having bought into the mind-set of the community they live in. So they question the message, interpreting the words in the collective, rather than the personal sense. The dummling misunderstands one part of the message and fails to “hear” (take in) the other part. And he reveals his feelings: wonderment, confusion, abandonment and sadness. |
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14.The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” |
The messenger from The Force replies on the personal level, and reminds the leap-frogger that he has the necessary strength. Then he gives the leap-frogger his “charge” or “marching orders,” his mission. Such Divine missions very often speak of salvation or liberation. |
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15.“But Lord,” Gideon asked, “how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” |
The leap-frogger as the dummling. Least of all, aware of being regarded by his community as “weak,” the leap-frogger reacts with wonderment and disbelief, thinking him/herself inadequate to the task. The leap-frogger is not proud, arrogant, sure of him/herself, or full of him/herself. |
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16.The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down the Midianites as if they were but one man.” |
The promise and prediction is given. The messenger reassures the leap-frogger of the presence of The Force and makes a prediction of victory for the leap-frogger’s efforts. |
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17.Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. 18.Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.” |
In this initial contact with The Force, the leap-frogger is not sure if he/she is taking in the data correctly—if this messenger really is from The Force, and if what he said is to be believed. So the leap-frogger asks for a sign. And, in case it is The Force, he/she wants to honor it with an offering. That is, the leap-frogger is devout, but also full of doubt. Dialog, with terms and conditions, is characteristic. |
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And the Lord said, “I will wait until you return.” |
The Force is patient with us, willing to wait and give us the time we need. |
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19.Gideon went in, prepared a young goat, and from an ephah of flour he made bread without yeast. Putting the meat in a basket and its broth in a pot, he brought them out and offered them to him under the oak. 20.The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, place them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And Gideon did so. 21.With the tip of the staff that was in his hand, the angel of the Lord touched the meat and the unleavened bread. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. |
The leap-frogger is diligent and follows up his/her words with actions. He/she is also willing to sacrifice him/herself and his/her possessions in his/her devotion. The offering is of both substance and self (feelings). And, as a result, he/she is given the requested sign, in a memorable and inspiring form.
Fire: in the alchemical process of the calcinatio, the leap-frogger experiences the burning up of his/her doubts. |
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And the angel of the Lord disappeared. 22.When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, “Ah, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!” 23.But the Lord said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.” |
The leap-frogger has an epiphany and then “wakes up” to the reality of the visitation he/she has just received. He/she is filled with all the usual feelings associated with epiphany: fear, awe, anxiety. Whereupon The Force dialogs with the leap-frogger, urging him/her not to be fearful [any contact the ego has with the Self is experienced as a “defeat;” hence the feelings of fear and dread.] |
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24.So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it “The Lord is Peace.” To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. |
The leap-frogger’s devotion shows up in some outward way, to remind him/her and others of the goodness of The Force. He/she invests time and effort in recalling the epiphany |
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25.That same night the Lord said to him, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. 26.Then build a proper kind of altar to the Lord your God on the top of this bluff. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering.” |
The Force doesn’t waste time once it makes contact with us. It asks the leap-frogger for concrete actions that reflect his/her loyalty, a “leap frog action” that will challenge the conventions of the community and call into question their loyalties, values and past actions. The leap-frogger is told that he/she will have to take a stand—for all to see—attesting to his/her devotion to The Force. The leap-frogger will have to commit significant resources to this task, i.e. be ready and willing to sacrifice him/herself, time and substance to carry out his/her Divine mission. |
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27.So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the town, he did it at night rather than in the daytime. |
The leap-frogger obeys the inner voice, or dream, and summons his/her resources to perform his/her mission. But he/she fears the consequences, so he/she acts at a time when he/she will be less conspicuous, taking advantage of others’ being asleep. Clearly, the leap-frogger is not eager to seem different, or to challenge the conventions of his/her society. He/she expects negative reactions from both family and the community at large. |
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28.In the morning when the men of the town got up, there was Baal’s altar demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar! 29.They asked each other, “Who did this?” When they carefully investigated, they were told, “Gideon, son of Joash, did it.” |
It is not long in coming: There is a flap with most leap-frog activities. The community gets upset. The things they have been devoted to have been desecrated or destroyed. They want to kill the perpetrator of what they regard as an abomination. Doing Divine work, leap-frog work, often results in hostility from the collective. |
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30.The men of the town demanded of Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.” 31.But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.” 32.So that day they called Gideon “Jerub-Baal,” saying “Let Baal contend with him” because he broke down Baal’s altar. |
The leap-frogger is protected inwardly by the inner father/authority/power principle, articulating the voice of reason. Outwardly, this may show up as powerful protectors, or the ability to speak up for oneself, with rational, cogent arguments that mollify the crowd. |
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33.Now all the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples joined forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel. |
Leap-frogging has consequences: the “powers that be” can organize to stop it. Opposition coalesces and grows to the point of becoming a threat. At some point there is a crucial moment when the “river is crossed,” sparking the realization that a conflict or some sort of confrontation is imminent. The Force is monitoring all this, and responds |
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34.Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. |
The leap-frogger is inspired by The Force and summons all his/her resources, garnering support. He/she may call attention to him/herself (“blow his/her own horn”) so as to be a catalyst for those who are discontent and eager to overcome what is oppressing them (but note that this is not done out of ego). |
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35.He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Ahser, Zebulun and Naphtali, so that they too went up to meet them. |
The leap-frogger networks widely in his/her quest for support. Supportive forces mobilize. |
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36.Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised—look, 37.I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.” 38.And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water. |
The leap-frogger continues to dialog with The Force. It is common for the leap-frogger to get cold feet, becoming unsure about the ultimate outcome and whether he/she is really doing what he/she is supposed to be doing. So he/she “puts out a fleece,” asking for a sign from The Force, to assure him/her that he/she is on target. Then he/she pays attention, waits eagerly for the sign, and follows up on his/her request. The Force complies with the leap-frogger’s request. |
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39.Then Gideon said to God, “Don’t be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew.” 40.That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew. |
Leap-froggers have weak faith, moments when they are really anxious and full of doubts. This is part of being human. The Force is loving and patient and willing to support us even in our weak moments. The leap-frogger tests his/her guidance yet again, and yet again The Force comes through. |
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7:1.Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. |
The leap-frogger shows up to fulfill his/her mission, having marshaled his/her resources. He/she may have a transcendent perspective on the situation. |
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2.The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that his own strength has saved her, 3.announce now to the people, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.
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And he/she may have amassed far more than he/she will really need. If so, he/she may experience being stripped of the excess in some way. The point of this is to reinforce reliance on the power of The Force (rather than on personal or earthly power). The stripping assures that he/she will not later try to boast that he/she was able to do the task on his/her own (i.e. the ego’s) strength. Fear shows up on the scene. On the inner plane, the leap-frogger has fears, but these are not allowed to interfere with the success of the mission. On the outer plane, the leap-frogger recognizes that some of the supporters of the leap-frog activity are fearful. Those people are allowed to leave. That is, some supporters will fall away as the leap-frog activity intensifies. The leap-frogger knows this and expects it and is not deterred or dismayed by it. |
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4.But the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.” 5.So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink.” 6.Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths. All the rest got down on their knees to drink. |
“Many are called; few are chosen.” The choosing is done by The Force, not by the leap-frogger’s ego mind. The leap frogger’s resources are differentiated, based on fidelity (i.e. dog-like qualities) and relationship to the feeling function (i.e. the water). |
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7.The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place.” 8.So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others. |
The leap-frogger may find that the stripping action goes on and on until only a tiny fraction of his/her initial resources/supporters remain. The point of this process is to get the leap-frogger to rely totally on The Force. The leap-frogger’s faith must be strong at this point. Outwardly, it may look as if the cause is hopeless, given the unevenness of the numbers. |
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Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley. |
The leap-frogger enjoys a higher level of perspective than those who seek to stay in the status quo. He/she can see farther and has a more transcendent vision. |
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9.During that night the Lord said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. 10.If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah and 11.listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.” So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp. |
The leap-frogger will be comforted and guided by dreams and dialogs with The Force. He/she will get directions and also be given provisions. The Force recognizes that the leap-frogger will have fears and will provide ways for him/her to be comforted. Notice how The Force calls on the leap-frogger to go right into what he/she fears and to listen, i.e. to face the fears and investigate them, especially with his/her feeling function. |
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12.The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore. |
The opposition may be great, numerous, impressive. The leap-frogger’s investigations may reveal that the odds of success are not good. |
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13.Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. “I had a dream,” he was saying. “A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed.” 14.His friend responded, “This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon, son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.” |
Dreams are a powerful tool The Force uses to support the leap-frogger and to buttress his/her faith. The Force will even, at times, send demoralizing dreams to those who oppose the leap-frog activity. The timing here is an example of synchronicity: a meaningful coincidence that serves to buttress the faith of the leap-frogger who is attentive and recognizes it. |
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15.When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped God. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, “Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands.” |
Such synchronicities in the course of fulfilling one’s mission can fill leap-froggers with wonder and awe and thanksgiving, as well as boosting their energy and strengthening their resolve. |
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16.Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside. |
Leap-froggers are leaders. They can give orders and create strategies, organize and deploy their resources tactically. It may be necessary to provision supporters with the resources (e.g. trumpets and jars) to generate “noise” and create the impression their numbers are greater than they are, so as to boost morale. |
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17.“Watch me,” he told them. “Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. 18.When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’” |
The leap-frogger knows he/she is a model for others, so he/she consciously models the actions he/she wants to see in his/her supporters. The leap-frogger reminds people that theirs is Divine work, that they are there for The Force, rather than for gratification of their egos. |
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19.Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. |
Times of change are sensitive intervals during which leap-froggers can act successfully. |
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They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. 20.The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. |
Leap-frog activities cause people to pay attention, and the result of such activities is the breaking of old structures that contain (i.e. limit) reality. |
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Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” |
Leap-froggers work illuminated from the unconscious and deliver their message via their conscious minds. The authority under which they work is recognized as being Divine. |
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21.While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled. 22.When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. |
Leap-froggers are resolute: they show up and stick to their commitments. In the face of such determination, the opposition falls apart and disperses. |
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23.Israelites from Naphtali, Ahser and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites. 24.Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth Barah….” |
As the opposition retreats, other supporters of the leap-frog activity gather and join the campaign. Networking resumes, with strategic calls and instructions being given by the leaders. |
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8:11.Gideon went up by the route of the nomads east of Nobah and Jogbehah and fell upon the unsuspecting army. Zebah and Zalmunna, the two kings of Midian, fled, but he pursued them and captured them, routing their entire army…. |
Perseverance is essential: one incident or confrontation is not the end. Leap-froggers are persistent and follow through on what they begin. |
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8:22.The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you, your son and your grandson—because you have saved us out of the hand of Midian.” 23.But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.” |
Leap-froggers are likely to receive the projections from their followers of their power and authority (i.e. followers tend to set the leap-frog leader up as “superior” to them, rather than to recognize their own inner divinity and seek to follow it). The leap-frog leader must refuse this projection and remind his/her followers of their own Self (the inner divinity in every person) and help them develop a relationship with the Self. |
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24.And he said, “I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder.” (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold earrings.) 25.They answered, “We’ll be glad to give them.” So they spread out a garment, and each man threw a ring from his plunder onto it. 26.The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels, not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains that were on their camels’ necks. 27.Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family…. |
Leap-froggers are human, with weaknesses and failings (e.g. a desire for wealth, forgetfulness of the admonitions of The Force) and so can become “ensnared” by their own ego-driven problems. |
In general terms, Gideon’s story is a paradigm for leap-frog endeavors. Specifically, any leap-frog activity is born out of a manifest problem on the physical plane. It is recognized as an opportunity by the leap-frogger, although others will call it a “problem.”
The leap-frog action is initiated by The Force, not by the individual person. This can show up in many ways, e.g. in guidance in a dream; in a moment’s epiphany sparked by some event one day; or by a gradual process that calls a person’s attention to some injustice or “problem.”
The leap-frogger, that is the person likely to respond to the call of The Force, is humble, reverent, and more often than not drawn from the marginalized. That is, there is some way in which the leap-frogger is not part of the privileged class or group. Often the person feels quite inadequate to the task he or she is given. Inner dialogs with the Self then take place (in dreams, in sleep, in meditations, in prayer), which gradually build an awareness of personal power.
There is a time interval involved. It usually takes some time for the person to become aware of just what is going on. This process of coming to consciousness can be a few days, a few weeks, a few months, even, at times, a few years. The Force is very patient. It waits.
Once the leap-frogger gets the call, he or she often experiences resistance, out of fear of being seen as different, or from reluctance to challenge the status quo. This resistance leads to testing of the message. Faith is weak. Doubts are many. The leap-frogger needs reinforcement of the call. The Force provides them.
Sacrifices are required. These can take many different forms: experiences of letting go, clearing out of the old outmoded “stuff” in one’s closets (both inner and outer), relinquishing of cherished ideas or beliefs. The point of this sacrifice is both to honor The Force, to confirm the validity of the message, and to open space for the new to come into one’s life.
The leap-frogger may endure death in its various stages and forms. These painful times are balanced by the epiphanies, which remind us of the power working for us. The Force provides comfort, promises and predictions that help us to carry on. One of the most common of these promises is “shalom,”[6] that we will know the deep peace of heart, mind and soul that comes from achieving wholeness.
Dreams and synchronicities are important features of the leap-frog process. Leap-froggers regularly study their dreams, and watch attentively for the meaningful coincidences that will appear when they need guidance or bolstering of their faith.
Growth into the work is incremental. Obedience to the inner voice is hesitant at first. The leap-frogger is full of doubts about this whole business, wondering if he/she can really trust the unconscious. Fears are common, particularly around taking on the collective, challenging customs and accepted ways.
Eventually, a crisis develops. Things come to a head. The leap-frogger is forced to take a stand, to be revealed to the community as “odd man out.”[7] He/she feels inadequate to the challenge. The Divine makes its presence felt, and the leap-frogger knows he/she can go on.
This phenomenon of getting cold feet is so common it is an inextricable part of the archetypal process. At such times, leap-froggers can “put out a fleece,” and do it again, if necessary. In a dialog with The Force, the test and its parameters are set. Then the leap-frogger watches, eagerly expecting a response.
If there is excess, it is likely to be stripped away. The Force wants leap-froggers to rely on it, rather than on lots of money or manpower. This stripping can take many forms, but the point of it is to give ego arrogance or a sense of self-sufficiency a hit. A leap-frogging activity is not done by us, but by The Force. The ego will interpret this as a “defeat,” and will suffer as a result.
The fearful will fall away, and this is OK. Leap-froggers expect this and allow for it. Few are chosen for this work, and differentiation is required. Leap-froggers have to recognize when The Force is pruning away those who are not meant to be part of the process.
Fear will never leave completely, but leap-froggers can expect to have their fears alleviated, i.e. lightened, so they are not oppressed or paralyzed by them. The Force will encourage the leap-frogger to face his/her fears directly and move into them, with its support.
Leap-froggers have to remember who really is due the accolades in any victory: It is not them, but The Force. They remind their followers of this.
Leap-froggers are co-creators with The Force. They put their talents, resources, etc. at the disposal of The Force and show up when and where they are told to be. They don’t stand around idly waiting for The Force to do it all, either: They use their minds and reasoning ability, and the full range of talents to develop plans, work out strategies and implement tactics.
Conclusion
The time of the global mind change (22 December 2012) grows nigh. Its approach is bringing to a head many of the chronic “problems” inherent in the Second Wave world. That means that we are presented with many opportunities to grow and change and evolve a new world system. In doing so, we face a choice: We can accept the challenge and undertake the process of transformation consciously. Or we can refuse (we have free will, and The Force respects this). No one is ever forced into “waking up” or leap-frogging.
But there are consequences to this choice. Those who refuse to change will stay stuck at a level of consciousness that will leave them vulnerable as the general level of consciousness rises. Eventually, the stuck will find it impossible to remain on the physical plane because the collective energy level will be too high: their physical systems will not be able to handle the higher energies.
Those who accept the challenge of change face another choice: to go it alone or to turn to and accept the support of The Force. Take the first option, and you will experience all the turmoil, upset, anxiety and alienation the ego is subject to. Take the second, and you will realize the truth of Jesus’ words, that being joined up (yoked) to The Force is easy, and its “burden” (the work it asks of us) is light.[8]
Leap-frogging takes this latter choice, accepting the “yoke” of a power higher than human ability. This power will produce novelty, new things, new ways, new approaches, the unexpected, surprises. It cares little for the “tried,” for standards or conventions. It works to release, liberate, open and expand. It seeks justice and mercy, in a world that works for everyone. It is exciting and unpredictable and it calls us to co-creative effort. It is timeless, having always been present, but never more necessary than now, as we work to help prepare the world for the coming shift in consciousness.
Leap-froggers are never drafted. Theirs is a volunteer “army.” The choice to join must be conscious and personal. By the fact that you are reading these words, you are now aware that you have a choice about this. Use the essays that follow to help you decide a course of action, in answering these most momentous of questions:
Am I willing to change, to “wake up”?
Will I go it alone, or accept the support of The Force?
For Further Reading
Hammer, Paul (1976), The Gift of Shalom. Philadelphia: United Church Press.
Hitchcock, John (1991), The Web of the Universe: Jung, the “New Physics” and Human Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press.
Jung, Carl (1960), “The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche,” Collected Works, 8. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Riesman, David, Nathan Glazer & Reuel Denney (1955), The Lonely Crowd: A Study of the Changing American Character. Garden City: Doubleday.
[3] The Leets worked for years in international aid programs and thus saw first-hand just how destructive Western aid was, in terms of the disempowerment of native populations. As a result, they founded “Trickle Up,” an alternative program that gives very small grants directly to people at grass-roots levels, fostering personal empowerment.
[4] These three loci of direction are a concept articulated by the American sociologist David Riesman; see Riesman (1955).
[5] I have to admit that I am not keen on using a source in which warfare is a central activity, but the other aspects of the Gideon story, particularly his weak faith and need for repeated tests, outweigh the military theme.
