Apocalypse or Awakening? How Today’s Crises can Forge a Better World

In an age of wildfire seasons that never end, heatwaves that shatter records, political polarization, economic fragility, and growing despair, it can feel like the world is spiraling into collapse. Climate anxiety is widespread, trust in institutions is eroding, and young people in particular are asking: Is there any hope left?

Surprisingly, the answer may be yes—but not in the form we might expect.

I just finished reading award-winning science journalist Lizzie Wade's fresh lens on catastrophe in her groundbreaking book Apocalypse: How Catastrophe Transformed Our World and Can Forge New Futures. Far from being a grim prophecy, the book traces how historical crises—from the fall of ancient cities to pandemics and climate shifts—have often led to transformation rather than total destruction.

As a member of the Bahá’í Faith, I was struck by how deeply Wade’s research aligns with the Bahá’í vision of crisis as a crucible for progress. Where some see only doom, both science and religion point to the same powerful truth: collapse can be the beginning of something new.

The Apocalypse that Unveils

Wade reframes “apocalypse” not as the end of the world, but as a dramatic unveiling—a moment when systems break down and hidden potential comes to light. She examines how societies facing disaster were forced to rethink everything from how they farmed, ruled, traded, and worshipped, to how they treated one another.

In many cases, the outcomes were not annihilation but rebirth. The Black Death decimated Europe’s population but also ended feudalism and empowered the working class. The collapse of the Classic Maya civilization saw not extinction, but cultural and political transformation. Ancient Peruvians adapted to centuries of El Niño disasters by moving inland and re-engineering their societies for resilience.

These lessons challenge the idea that today's global crises must end in ruin. Instead, they invite us to see our moment in history as one of reconstruction and rebirth.

A Bahá’í Vision of Transformation

Bahá’í teachings echo this message with profound clarity. Bahá’u’lláh, the Prophet-Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, describes our age as one of unparalleled turbulence—but also of spiritual maturation. The present chaos of the world, He states, is not meaningless, but part of the birth pangs of a new world order:

“The world is in travail, and its agitation waxeth day by day.” “Soon will the present-day order be rolled up, and a new one spread out in its stead.” (Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh)

This is not naïve optimism. It is constructive resilience—the belief that humanity, having reached a new stage in its collective evolution, must build new institutions and relationships grounded in justice, cooperation, and unity.

Five Shared Lessons from Science and the Bahá’í Writings

By comparing Wade’s historical analysis with Bahá’í teachings, we can identify several profound lessons for today’s moment of upheaval:

1. Crises are a Catalyst, Not a Curse

Wade shows that crises force societies to evolve—often breaking down old hierarchies and opening paths to innovation. The Bahá’í Writings affirm this, viewing global suffering not as divine punishment, but as an awakening:

“The whole earth is now in a state of pregnancy. The day is approaching when it will have yielded its noblest fruits...” (World Order of Bahá’u’lláh)

2. Justice Is the Bedrock of Resilience

Wade documents how inequality magnified disaster. In societies where elites hoarded wealth and denied others power, collapse was more severe. The Bahá’í Writings offer a blueprint for a more equitable, progressive and just society at all levels, from the local to the global, insisting:

“The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice.” (Bahá’u’lláh, The Hidden Words, Arabic no. 2)

Bahá’ís advocate the elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty, and insist that any sustainable response to climate or economic crises must be rooted in equity—not just efficiency.

3. Cooperation, Not Competition, Ensures Survival

In Apocalypse, Wade illustrates that the societies which survived best were those that fostered mutual aid and shared sacrifice—not isolationism. The Bahá’í Faith likewise sees the oneness of humanity as not merely a moral idea but a practical necessity in a globalized, interdependent world.

“So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.” (Bahá’u’lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf)

4. Decentralized, Local Action Builds True Resilience

Wade shows that many communities recovered from crisis by empowering local solutions—decentralizing decision-making and drawing on Indigenous knowledge. This resonates with the Bahá’í model of governance, which empowers communities through Local Assemblies and neighborhood-based consultation.

Change, the Bahá’í Writings suggest, must arise from both grassroots action and global cooperation—not top-down authoritarianism.

5. Hope and Imagination are Strategic Tools

One of the most striking arguments in Apocalypse is that we must learn from history not just to survive—but to imagine new futures. Catastrophe frees us from old mental models and allows us to rethink what is possible.

This is at the heart of the Bahá’í vision: that through hope, prayer, consultation, and action, humanity can build a just, peaceful, and unified world civilization—what Bahá’u’lláh calls the “Most Great Peace.”

From Collapse to Coherence

Both science and religion urge us to abandon the illusion that we can return to “normal.” What was “normal” for so many—poverty, racism, ecological destruction, and isolation—was unsustainable.

We are not facing the end of the world. We are facing the end of one world—a way of organizing human life that has outlived its usefulness—and the beginning of a new one.

Wade’s archaeological evidence and the Bahá’í spiritual vision converge on this simple truth: crises reveal what no longer works—and invite us to create something better.

Walking Forward With Courage

As daunting as climate change, inequality, and social fragmentation may seem, this moment is also filled with extraordinary opportunity. Wade reminds us that humanity has always found ways to adapt, survive, and grow after collapse. The Bahá’í teachings invite us to go further: to rebuild with spiritual purpose, guided by justice, and fueled by love.

In the words of Bahá’u’lláh:

“Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in, and center your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements.” (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah)

Now is not the time to close ourselves into a protective coccoon, hoping that isolation will guard us from our fears. Now is the time to deliberate together—and to act in cooperation.

If this reflection resonates with you, consider learning more about the Bahá’í vision of social transformation, or explore the insights of Lizzie Wade’s Apocalypse to better understand how history can inform our future. The path forward will not be easy—but it will be shared. And it begins with imagination, unity, and hope.