This morning that potential for mischief was realized. There was a terrible almost head-on collision, bent metal, broken bodies, emergency helicopters, and traffic hopelessly snarled. I observed at least one other major accident caused by panic over the delay. Late to work for me too late, perhaps, for others. In recent years I have noted an interesting array of convergence.

When I was younger and first began to travel the world, it was a remarkably diverse place: the abacus-and-street-market economy in an isolated economy seemingly oblivious to the assembly-line controls in another. Now we rush toward convergence, a McWorld uniformity often wearing little difference beyond the language dubbed on the latest video. The few holdouts are seen as hostile to the new world order and cultural clashes as last-gasp futility.

The world of faith, too, is on a convergent path. As the faithful become less so, there is a rush to create a generic, catchall version. The reasons for a past Reformation are avoided in the urge to merge. Perhaps a fear of religious conflict, as we read about in old history books, animates the trend. But it extends beyond Christianity. It is marked by New Age generalizations, dialogue between major faiths, and political distrust of all religious zealotry.

The generation gap rather accurately described traditional cultures and their respect for age and experience, and caution against allowing the young to dictate society