Role of “Anticipation of the Savior” in Times of Crisis and Deadlock
DID Press: In a world gripped by endless wars, structural poverty, political instability, identity crises, and psychological insecurity, the concept of “Anticipation of the Savior” has become one of the most important social and theological topics. Contrary to superficial perceptions, waiting for the promised savior is not a passive or merely emotional state for the followers, but rather a social, psychological, and civilizational force that can generate meaning, direction, and purpose even amid chaos and distress.
Waiting for the Savior: A Mechanism for Meaning-Making in a Meaningless World
Contemporary crises are largely crises of meaning. In a world overwhelmed by information overload, speed of change, and the collapse of traditional values, humans face an “existential confusion.” In such an environment, the anticipation of the savior plays the role of a meaning framework—a framework that makes the future predictable and trustworthy, places today’s suffering within a larger narrative, and transforms the sense of aimlessness into hope and purpose. This meaning-making is not an illusion, but a psychological and social mechanism that has helped societies resist internal collapse throughout history.
Anticipation: An Ethical Force in an Age of Violence
As the world moves toward brutality, extreme competition, and structural violence, the anticipation of the savior creates an ethics of resistance. This ethics is based on several principles: commitment to justice even in times of injustice, the preservation of human dignity in an age of dehumanization, and hope for a world’s reform rather than submission to its corruption. Waiting for the savior prevents individuals from becoming part of the cycle of violence and calls them to moral action. This is what many thinkers call the “Mahdavi ethics” or “ethics of anticipation.”
Anticipation: A Force for Psychological Resilience Against Insecurity
In a time where collective anxiety, social depression, and a sense of instability have become pervasive, the anticipation of the savior acts as a psychological shield. This shield operates through several mechanisms: creating a sense of control in an uncontrollable world, enhancing resilience in the face of pain and failure, and reducing feelings of isolation through a connection to a shared future. Therefore, waiting is not an escape but a survival mechanism, strengthening humans against the crushing pressures of the modern world.
Anticipation: A Force for Identity Building in an Age of Fragmentation
One of the greatest crises today is the crisis of identity. Modern man is caught between conflicting, fluid, and often contradictory identities. The anticipation of the savior offers a stable and goal-oriented identity—an identity rooted in justice, spirituality, and the reformation of the world. This identity connects the individual to a global community of the awaited ones, integrating the past, present, and future into a cohesive narrative. This identity, unlike transient consumer identities, is rooted, sustained, and meaningful, making life both individual and collective.
Anticipation: A Force for Social and Political Resistance
Throughout history, the anticipation of the savior has acted as a force of resistance against oppression and tyranny. It prevents people from accepting the status quo, empowers them to protest and reform, and shows them that unjust structures are temporary and changeable. Hence, waiting for the savior is not an instrument of passivity or despair but a political force of liberation.
Anticipation: A Force for Civilizational Movement
From a civilizational perspective, waiting for the savior is a driving force. A community that waits prepares for a better future, strives for justice, knowledge, ethics, and progress, and avoids stagnation, despair, and inaction. Waiting for the savior becomes a civilizational project, one aiming to build a world that aligns with the awaited one’s emergence.
Anticipation: A Unifier of Individuals and Society
In an era of extreme individualism, the anticipation of the savior creates social bonds. This bond unites individuals around a common ideal, strengthens the sense of collective responsibility, and reduces social divisions. It generates social capital that, in times of crisis, is crucial for survival.
Conclusion
The anticipation of the savior in times of crisis is not a fantastical refuge but a real and effective force that generates meaning, builds ethics, creates identity, enhances psychological resilience, organizes social resistance, and directs society toward a better future.
In a world that plunges further into instability each day, waiting for the savior can be the very force that saves humanity from internal and social collapse, inviting people to hopeful and constructive action.
By Rahel Mousavi — DID Prrss Agency