One of the purposes of preaching and publishing the true gospel is to spread the certain message that the Bible promises us real hope for the future, in spite of having to cope with the vagaries of today's increasingly chaotic and unstable world.
by John Ross Schroeder
The 20th century was often the age of anxiety. Yet after two world wars in which millions perished followed by two draining conflicts in Asia, the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 seemed to herald a new era—a fresh opportunity for world peace. Leaders such as President George H.W. Bush talked of a New World Order, and Mr. Bush even hoped for "a kinder, gentler America."
Many today believe that we are poised at another opportune time—"A moment that will define a generation," as new American President Barack Obama expressed it in his inaugural address (emphasis added throughout).
Yet the stark reality is that just 20 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall—having experienced the horrors of 9/11, near genocide in parts of Africa and horrendous conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq and Gaza—we seem farther than ever from achieving world peace and domestic tranquillity.
The specter of a deep recession
How deep and prolonged will this recession get? The future seems very uncertain as the present world economic crisis escalates. We appear to be on the edge of severe global anxiety, especially now with almost all national economies in serious decline with bank failures, businesses going bankrupt, billions being spent in bailouts, rising unemployment and the staggering increase in foreclosures and decrease in home values.
Those who regularly read such newspapers as The Wall Street Journal and The Financial Times find one article after another reflecting the downturn. Perhaps noted British author and journalist Paul Johnson best sums up the mood of some insightful observers of the economic scene:
