“Religion is the opiate of the masses” is one of Karl Marx most frequently quoted statements (although he actually said “religion is the opiate of the people” lets not split hairs today) though today, I think it has to be said… Justin Bieber has become the new opiate of the masses… Oh yes.

CNN recently cited some research that made its way across many a blog and it stated that 70% of adults in the US would describe themselves as angry. I read a psychologist writing that people can become addicted to anger because of the way it shuts out feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. In the same way Phil Mitchell is using crack coacine to blot out his issues in TVs Eastenders… He does look rough right now, doesn’t he?

Here in the UK, the tiniest glimmer of economic recovery seems to have stuttered, the price of houses are not rising, the new coalition government initial jubilation seems spent as they go about making HUGE cuts in public spending, jobs are being cut here there and everywhere,people are mistrusting of those in local and national power – as a result helplessness and hopelessness are present. Whereas those of us with a property portfolio always knew they were the unrivalled way to invest money, the new unrivalled constant seems to be the public anger at just about everything… The news is filled with anger being vented at all manner of stuff.

The lady in the news this week who put a neighbours cat in a bin is going to be lynched and dragged through the streets by all accounts… Whilst I believe she is undisputedly wrong and verging on evil for doing such a thing, she has had to get police protection… I mean she is no mass murderer… The country is venting and spitting out so much anger!

People seem to be refusing to look in the mirror… Who can we turn to offer up some optimism, and hope? A face that has never frowned unkindly, someone who can cleanse us of our vitriol and inspire us to elevate ourselves out of the muddy waters and into the sweet smelling air up there in the lofty heights of eternal happiness?

God sent Justin Bieber to us. Maybe this is the second coming, in Justin Bieber form.

He has been transmitted through every single form of modern technology, through our phones, our computers, TVs, billboards, online social media… Even my two beautiful twin cousins (Hi Emma and Katie) have added a film clip to their facebook account of them singing to a Justin Bieber song. God has clearly sent him to spread the Gospel of less cynicism, for us all to recall an innocence lost, and to distract us from the downright hopelessness and despair of our current existence.

Of course I’m kidding… I am not about to start praying to Justin and gathering on grassy hills to hear him preach his message.

Though I genuinely think there is something about him and the way he is that lends itself nicely to how we can let go of bitternes, disappointment and resentment that exists in our time… That have been fuelling anger.

Justin Bieber offers up a sense of innocent optimism, albeit a tad symbolic, I really don;t know enough about him as an actual person… It is verging on what the late, great Alan Watts referred to as an attitude “that embraces the possibility that solutions can be fashioned“, it means that we end up believing things can improve, even against the odds.

If someone such as Justin Bieber can shine a light in the direction of a temperamental hypnotherapist… Then surely we can all shine a light into the lives of each other too, no? I am not going to start clapping my hands and shouting Amen or Hallelujah today… I know, that religious metaphor running through todays blog is being stretched to capacity!

I am not suggesting that we all start living life with blind optimism, not at all. Just that we need to create some balance here. maybe the anger and criticism inherent within peoples lives today could lead to discovering new desired outcomes and people could start to think about ways of rebuilding hope and trust, we can take stock of where we are at and move forward… Actually dare to take a good deep look in the mirror, see who and how we are being in actuality, quit blaming and wanting to lynch everything and anyone and start to trust, share goodwill and join hands with our neighbours a bit.

Thank you Justin Bieber, I am not going to let you be the only one shining a beacon of hope, I’ll shine one too and I’ll ask my friends to do the same… 🙂