by Sanford Baran
We find ourselves living in interesting times! Who wants to be bored anyway?
On the one hand we may think that current circumstances are totally unprecedented, what with concerns about executive overreach, questions about constitutional boundaries, the routine breaking of governmental norms and unbridled bullying on the international stage. Yet history offers us perspective: down through the ages it’s estimated that there have been thousands of individuals who have assumed the mantle of tyranny. They’ve been kings and emperors, military dictators, elected officials who gradually seized more power, revolutionary leaders who betrayed their ideals, and party secretaries who ruled through fear. The ancient Greeks coined the term “tyrant” over 2,500 years ago, and every generation since has witnessed struggles with humanly devised systems of power, authority, and governance.
Today’s seemingly urgent challenges are merely the latest chapter in humanity’s ancient refusal to yield to divine control—a struggle that has persisted throughout civilization. Simply put, since humanity’s fall, human nature has clung tenaciously to its illusion of supremacy, defending what it mistakenly believes to be its rightful dominance. What do they say the definition of insanity is? It’s doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
So, yes, we are living in unprecedented times, but not because current circumstances themselves are notably different from historical patterns. What is unprecedented is each moment’s unique revelation of the majesty and magnificence of spirit, infusing all creation with its presence. Indeed, this same focus of spirit provides the wherewithal for us in this moment to individually and collectively express something truly wonderful and totally new.
And while change and uniqueness characterize each moment’s radiant unfolding, the fundamental nature of spirit itself remains unchanging—a bedrock of stability and constancy. Unlike humanity’s unpredictable and often haphazard ways, spirit provides an unwavering foundation beneath the ever-shifting surface of events. This divine constancy offers a profound anchor in tumultuous times, reminding us that beneath the chaos of human affairs lies an eternal, dependable presence that transcends the fickleness and whims of the human condition.
The Founders of our republic here in the United States were acutely aware of tyranny’s persistent threat. Having just fought a revolution against what they viewed as monarchical overreach, they designed a constitution with numerous checks and balances: separation of powers, federalism, and explicit individual rights. Yet many, particularly those like John Adams and James Madison, recognized that no document alone could safeguard liberty.
Madison famously wrote in Federalist Paper No. 51 that “if men were angels, no government would be necessary” —at least no human government. The Founders understood that constitutional protections would ultimately prove insufficient without what they referred to as a virtuous citizenry. They believed that self-governance required individuals who could genuinely place the whole above self-interest, above the self-centered compulsions of the human ego.
So, the Founders were deeply pragmatic in their understanding of human nature. They created a system that acknowledged human flaws while establishing structures to channel human ambition in constructive directions. Essentially, they designed a substitute pattern that, while imperfect, provides essential stability and protection against mankind’s worst tendencies. We’ll see how well this holds up in the days to come.
Of course, we know that men and women were created to be angelic. An interesting rephrasing of Madison’s question might be, “If men and women were expressing their true angelic nature, what type of government would emerge on that basis?” The answer is not something the mind is going to figure out. Ultimately, it’s discovered through the expression of the tone on the part of some, or maybe many, who have awakened to their true identity and life’s work.
Benjamin Franklin’s reported response when asked what form of government the Constitutional Convention had created was, “A republic, if you can keep it.” This basically underscores the Founders’ understanding that maintaining liberty demands ongoing civic virtue, demands nobility of character on the part of individuals in the way they conduct themselves in their everyday living. And this is not someone else’s responsibility. In the larger sense, it’s a sacred trust undertaken by all who recognize their place within the archangelic body. To paraphrase President John F. Kennedy, “Ask not what spirit can do for you, ask what you can do in service to spirit.”
The recognition that character matters, that the spirit is embodied in individuals, forms the true backbone of any governing structure. This is what lays the groundwork, ultimately, for heavenly governance and true collective function in service to the whole.
And what exactly is this nobility of character that the Founders so valued? It’s not merely a set of virtues to strive for, or moral codes to follow, though these outer manifestations are certainly important. At its essence, nobility of character springs from alignment with the very character of spirit itself: the divine essence at the heart of all existence.
Among the essential characteristics of nobility, humility stands perhaps as the most foundational yet often overlooked, particularly in today’s climate where self-promotion and bombast are frequently rewarded. True humility isn’t self-deprecation or false modesty, but rather a clear-sighted recognition of our place within the larger spiritual order. It’s the quiet acknowledgment that we are vessels for something greater than ourselves—vehicles through which spirit may express its nature rather than claiming personal ownership of these virtues as if they were our own creation. This humble stance creates space for other virtues to flourish naturally. When we’re genuinely humble, we listen before speaking, consider before judging, and serve before seeking recognition. We see this quality exemplified in those who accomplish meaningful work without fanfare, who lead through example rather than command, and who find joy in elevating others rather than themselves. In an age where humility might seem quaint or even naive, it remains the fertile soil from which all other aspects of nobility grow. For without humility, even seemingly virtuous actions become subtle forms of self-aggrandizement—outward displays divorced from the authentic expression of spirit within.
When we speak of traits such as humility, integrity, courage, wisdom, and selflessness, we’re not describing external qualities that must be laboriously acquired through willpower. Rather, we’re describing the natural expression of our authentic selves in alignment with the spiritual essence at our cores.
Perhaps what is thought of as character development can be seen in a whole different light. Instead of seeing it as an arduous process of adding virtues we lack, we recognize it as a process of removing the obstacles—the fear, self-centeredness, and materialistic thinking—that obscure our inherent nobility from appearing. Discipline remains vital in this process, not as a means of forcing ourselves to follow external rules, but as the consistent practice of clearing away what prevents our true nature and stature from shining through. And in doing this consistently it’s found that the expression of nobility becomes as natural as breathing.
We see this principle at work in those rare individuals throughout history who have demonstrated remarkable character even in the most challenging circumstances. Their nobility doesn’t appear forced or calculated but flows with a natural grace that inspires others. They remind us that when we align with the spiritual reality within and around us, we don’t have to strain to be virtuous—we simply express who we already are.
The implications for governance are profound. Our current constitutional system, with its checks and balances, was designed with the understanding that humanity often fails to express its nobility consistently. Yet as individuals consciously align with their inner reality, allowing their inherent nobility of character to manifest, a foundation is laid for governance that reflects not just human pragmatism but divine wisdom.
This is not to suggest we’ll soon outgrow the need for constitutional protections in our various republics across the globe. But it does remind us that our engagement with governance begins not with political activism but rather with spiritual alignment—with the daily choice of allowing spirit to be known, through us, in every aspect of our lives.
This perspective invites us to reconsider the nature of representation in governance. The Founders, with their profound understanding of human tendencies, deliberately established a representative democracy rather than a pure one. They harbored justifiable concerns about direct democracy devolving into mob rule—a tyranny of the majority lacking the wisdom and restraint necessary for just governance. Their solution was representation filtered through individuals selected for their judgment and character.
In a similar vein, we might contemplate how divine governance would naturally manifest in a representative form. It would be unrealistic to expect all people to simultaneously awaken to and to consistently express their inherent nobility of character. Rather, those who do make this conscious choice—those who align themselves most clearly with spiritual reality—would naturally emerge as representatives, not through self-promotion or political ambition, but through the unmistakable quality of their living.
This Noble Assembly, if you will, would lead not through domination but through service, not through force but through inspiration. Their authority would stem not from title or position but from their transparent alignment with spiritual principles that resonate in the depths of every human soul. They would govern not by imposing their will upon others but by creating conditions in which each person might more easily discover and reveal their own inherent nobility.
And what of those who have not yet chosen this path of alignment? They would neither be ruled over nor excluded but rather invited and inspired. The noble representatives would recognize that the same potential for spiritual alignment exists within all people, even those who have not yet awakened to it. Their governance would be characterized by patience and profound respect for each individual’s journey, maintaining unwavering faith in human beings’ capacity for love and transformation.
This model transcends both the tyranny of majorities and the elitism of privileged minorities by anchoring representation in something universal yet individually expressed. It suggests a form of collective wisdom emerging not from counting votes but from cultivating character—from the living demonstration that nobility flows naturally when we align ourselves with the spiritual authority that underlies all creation.
Such governance finds its precedent in what are called the “ordinances of heaven”—those immutable principles that govern the universe itself. Consider the physical constants that scientists have discovered, those precise values that make physical existence possible. The cosmological constant, the strong nuclear force, the ratio of electron to proton mass—each of these is calibrated with extraordinary precision. If any were altered by even a minuscule amount, stars couldn’t form, atoms couldn’t bond, and the universe as we know it simply couldn’t exist.
These are not arbitrary rules imposed upon reality but the very conditions that allow reality to manifest and flourish in the first place. They create boundaries within which infinite creativity can express itself. They apply universally yet give rise to incredible diversity. They operate consistently yet nurture infinite possibilities. In short, they demonstrate the perfect balance of freedom within the framework of design and order that characterizes divine governance.
The Noble Assembly would function in much this same way—not by creating arbitrary rules but by recognizing and aligning with the deeper ordinances that already govern reality. Just as physical constants create the conditions for matter to organize into increasingly complex forms, true governance creates the conditions for collective human consciousness to evolve toward its highest expression.
Our current constitutional system, with its checks and balances, represents humanity’s pragmatic response to its own limitations—a necessary framework given the current collective state of spiritual awareness. Divine governance, by contrast, operates through beauty and balance rather than checks and balances. It’s the difference between a mechanistic system designed to prevent excess and an organic harmony that naturally expresses proportion and grace.
Beauty and balance are evident throughout creation, from the precise arrangement of planets in our solar system to the mathematical elegance of a snowflake. They reflect not restrictions imposed from without but the natural expression of principles that are woven into the very fabric of reality itself. Just as these principles create the conditions for cosmic order without constraining diversity and the processes of refinement, divine governance would establish the conditions for the flourishing of all creation without imposing uniformity.
The transition to divine governance doesn’t require the overthrow of existing systems but rather their transmutation through the consistent expression of nobility. As more individuals align with their true nature, the external structures will inevitably shift to reflect this inner reality—just as the physical world naturally organizes itself according to the ordinances of heaven. What glorious work this is and how thrilling to be in the middle of it all—right where the action is!
Let the Noble Assembly continue to naturally emerge and flourish, all in service to the One whose universe this is.