| World
Events in 1997
Clouds of Fear, Linings of Hope Watch and Pray.—Matthew 26:41 Richard Kindig True Christians do not have the luxury of complacency. He who said, "Watch and pray" meant both commands because both are emphatically necessary. Watching implies taking notice, carefully assessing, discerning details and trends. Praying implies reflection, meditation; considering God’s ways, seeking his will, placing the clues we discern by watching into the framework we have seen in God’s word—and arranging as best we can the minutiae of our own lives in harmony with the grand features of God’s design. "In faith we perceive that the ages have been so thoroughly adjusted by God’s command, that not from things then manifest the things now seen have come to pass" (Heb. 11:3 Diaglott). "The Most High rules over the kingdom of men, and sets over it whomsoever he wills" (Dan. 4:17). * * * It may seem strange to say that we are already over one hundred years into Christ’s second advent; but when we list the significant historical accomplishments of the last century and a quarter, we begin to see that a supernatural power is at work behind the scenes, directing the affairs of men. Here’s a quick recap of the "linings of hope" that have emerged from the clouds of trouble past:
That all these major historical developments, and more, could be accomplished in just over a century, is indeed strengthening to our faith. If Christ had moved any more quickly, how could the human race have kept pace with the changes? And yet the pace quickens. This year brought us perceptively closer to the fulfillments of God’s promises! Angry Nations The first evidence cited by John the Revelator as a condition that accompanied the first phase of the reign of Christ (Rev. 11:8) was angry nations. That is old news, dating back to the beginning of our century. But several events in 1997 demonstrate increasing anger among the nations of the world. Bosnian Anger: Bosnia, the home of the perpetually angry Serbian people, provided the spark that ignited World War I. It continues to defy the United States, NATO, and the United Nations. In June, NATO forces seized several television stations for the purpose of offsetting the extremist defiance of the Serbian outlaw Radovan Karidjic. But soon NATO back-pedaled, and, despite a number of elections, the area remains a powder-keg. Moslem Anger: A U.S. Government report on terrorism states: "the world is increasingly moving into an era in which terrorists may gain access to nuclear, chemical or biological weaponry. . . . Few nations will . . . be quick to disregard consideration of covert operations designed to neutralize this threat." Five of the seven active terrorist states recorded in the State Department report are Islamic. News that Iran is actively pursuing the acquisition of nuclear weapons from Russia is the most recent ominous portent. Russian Anger: Russia is in turmoil, perhaps poised to become the seething pot Jeremiah saw in the north (Jer. 1:13). A survey of the current political personalities who are vying for power in Russia reveals angry men, with angry agendas: hatred of the West, of Jews, of capitalism. There is wounded pride and desperate desires to restore the power and prestige Russia once held on the world stage. African Anger: Unrestrained by traditions of moderation and civility, generations of conflicts that have been aggravated by colonial intervention and tribal rivalries continue to torture many of the states of Africa. Rwanda continued to bleed, as Tutsi and Hutu tribesmen took turns killing each other. Recent surveys by relief agencies suggest that 85% or more of the children in this region have personally witnessed the murder of a loved one or neighbor. Nigeria continues to suffer under grossly corrupt military dictators and the Congo is now confronting the legacy of heartache left by Sese Seke Mobutu, who was finally deposed this year. The Gathering of the Nations Though God himself is angry at this time, he announced his determination to gather these angry nations together into tighter and tighter ties of mutual dependency and communication (Zeph. 3:8, 9). The Expansion of NATO: Boris Yeltsin lobbied against it, but was unable to stop the North Atlantic Treaty Organization from making the decision this year to include Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Hungary in the military alliance, with other former Soviet Bloc nations being considered for future admission. The European Union: One of the most significant steps toward European Union occurred this year when England’s new Prime Minister, Tony Blair, decided to reverse two decades of resistance by the Conservative government he recently replaced, and pursued the steps needed to adopt the European currency in England. Another major milestone occurred when Italy fought off a Communist Party attempt to block deep budget-balancing efforts that are required by the Maastricht Treaty, and thus stayed on course toward the European Union. Shock Waves in World Finance In 1997 stocks overtook banks as the primary savings vehicle of Americans. Yet several tremors in the high-flying stock market reminded everyone that, when all is said and done, stocks have no intrinsic value, beyond the price they can bring at any given moment. For two hours in September, the New York Stock Exchange suffered a "free fall." In October, a similar free fall occurred in China, causing a world-wide downward spiral in prices that accompanied the rising sun as it raced around the world that day. One of Wall Street’s brokerages, who had delivered average gains of 28% per year to its clients for the past 10 years, bet heavily that the American market would react favorably the day after the Chinese market plunge. They were wrong, and within two hours they became insolvent. If we are watching, perhaps we will conclude that the best stewardship we can exercise is to put our resources to work in some fruitful branch of the Lord’s vineyard, rather than risking it in the world’s mad money game. Valleys Being Exalted From the self-centered American perspective, even the booming economy gives little cause for celebration, because real wages have remained almost frozen since 1973. But the rest of the world is making strides economically. The emerging powers in the Pacific Rim, such as Indonesia, Singapore, and Korea, continue to experience a boom. South America, Africa, Central America are all developing stronger economies with a growing middle class. But the biggest news of exalting valleys is China. It is almost impossible to exaggerate the importance of China today. One person in five is Chinese; in July, China peacefully took over control of Hong Kong from England. It drove another nail into the coffin of colonialism and the weaving of Chinese-style democracy as a prominent thread into the fabric of Chinese culture. It is said that 17% of the world’s construction cranes are now in the city of Shanghai! Knowledge Continues to be Increased Just when it seemed hard to imagine further fulfillment of Daniel 12:1-4, several major scientific breakthroughs occurred in 1997. The most noteworthy from a media perspective was the landing of an unmanned rover on Mars. Another is the discovery of an organizational structure of the galaxies, implying much more than simply a random "Big Bang" at the time of creation. Melting the Elements In Peter’s prophecy of the return of Christ to establish "the world to come, wherein dwells righteousness" (2 Peter 3:8-13), the apostle states that the "elements" shall melt with fervent heat. The word refers, not to the literal elements, but to the "elemental rules" or first principles of human society. Peter refers to basic standards of decency and morals, and basic institutions such as the institution of marriage and the obedience of children to parents. Every one of these first principles is now in full retreat before the destructive onslaught of rebellion. Homosexuality: Homosexuality, for example, has finally entered the mainstream of American culture. Major TV series and movies now feature homosexuality in a sympathetic light. The legalization of same-sex marriages is now a subject of serious debate. Homosexual theorists are unsettling the academic world by reinterpreting historical events and classical literature through the filter of gender perversion. In July, the Supreme Court struck down a Colorado law designed to prevent homosexuals from receiving special treatment under the law. Justice Antonin Scalia bitterly complained, in his dissenting opinion, that the court majority was "imposing upon all Americans" the pronouncement that "animosity toward homosexuality . . . is evil." Although there is some debate as to the degree that homosexuality is affected by one’s genes or by environmental factors, the fact remains that that life style is a choice, and one not sanctioned in the Bible. Even the sympathy accorded AIDS activists has become a means of gaining popular support for such a disease-producing lifestyle. We are reminded of Alexander Pope’s famous verse:
The life style of the homosexual is frequently accompanied by one or more of the sins predicted for "the last days" in 2 Timothy 3:1-7. Chemical Abortions: Another frightful development in "element-melting" this year is the "advancement" of chemical abortions in Europe. RU-486 allows a woman to take a pill that, with relative ease, kills any fetus within her. It is 95% effective. In France this year, 70% of abortions within the first 5 weeks of pregnancy now involve RU-486. Terminating pregnancies in this early stage allows a mother to deal with the matter without the inconvenience of the attention of friends and family (or even husband). In a euphemism typical of medical practitioners in the abortion industry, one doctor stated, "you have to be very comfortable with your body to undergo this procedure." Translation: it is painful for a few hours, and the mother cannot avoid seeing the dead fetus when it is sloughed off. The main hindrance to wider acceptance of the procedure thus far seems to be the resistance of doctors, because it reduces their role to that of a pill dispenser who must stand by for five hours in case complications arise. Fratricide, Patricide, Infanticide, Suicide A whole series of brutal slayings this year— children by their parents, parents by their children, and children by their brothers—is another meltdown of the most basic human "elements." Several capricious "joy killings" or "wildings" this year have arrested the world’s attention. Assisted suicide, also, continues to break down humanity’s instinctive fear of arrogantly seizing God’s prerogative, the ending of human life. The Heavens Rolling Together "And the Heavens shall depart as a scroll when it is rolled together."—Revelation 6:14 Rising Tide of Ecumenism: For the fifth time since 1960, the Pope and Archbishop of Canterbury met to discuss ways of resolving their differences and reuniting the churches they represent. The main barrier continues to be the ordination of women. In the last several years, 2000 Anglican women have been ordained, while "several hundred Anglican priests have defected to Catholicism," according to the Associated Press. Though Anglican and Roman Catholic reunification is moving slowly, several major steps toward ecumenism occurred in 1997. Conventions of the Presbyterian Church, Reformed Church of America, United Church of Christ, and Episcopal Church approved a pact that would allow each church to accept the validity of each other’s bishops, "as a sign of the unity and apostolic continuity of the whole church." The pact, which has been under negotiation for 30 years, then faced ratification by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, to gain full implementation. In a dramatic vote, the Lutheran convention voted overwhelmingly to recognize the communion and ordination of the Presbyterian, Reformed, and United Church of Christ, but fell a mere six votes short of the two-third majority needed to embrace the Anglican Church. Some delegates were seen crying after the vote, but a sizable minority, mostly from the upper Midwest, remain opposed to the principal of "apostolic succession," under which Lutheran bishops would be appointed for life and preside over the ordination of other pastors. One of the dissenting delegates said, "Lifelong bishops are contrary to the Reformation." It could take several years for a similar vote to occur again, but in the meantime, more than seven million professed Christians now belong to churches which support the principal of apostolic succession, and five million more (the Evangelical Lutherans) have placed one foot over that line of demarcation. Growing Fervor Among Informal Churches: Against the ecumenical backdrop, a larger and more significant shift is taking place—the trend away from ceremonial and liturgical church services, toward "user-friendly" meetings that emphasize relevant Bible teaching, child care, and joyous contemporary music. Armed with these tools, mega-churches, such as Chicago’s Willow Creek Church, which ignore denominational differences but do teach many substantive biblical principles, are springing up across the country. Is this sham Christianity? We can watch the words and actions of such groups carefully to see whether they should be taken seriously, the way Bible Students took the revival efforts of Moody seriously a century ago. (See R5168, R3864.) We can also watch to see if such assemblies contain souls who might find the harvest message relevant and pray that we can find fresh ways to communicate it to them. Fields Ready to Harvest Promise-Keepers March: One of the most significant events of 1997 was the Promise-Keepers March, probably twice as massive as the "Million Man" march of a year ago. Though charged by critics as being a large political rally and emphasizing male dominance, it was really more of a religious revival among men. In it, many men gave evidence that they are renouncing sins of materialism and worldliness and submitting their lives to Christ. Though the liberal media chuckled, and feminists sneered, the profession of genuine repentance from sin and conversion to a life of faith and obedience amongst so large a number should not be ignored. While disagreeing with the image of God held by many of these clinging to ancient creeds, we must appreciate any genuine attempt to a more godly life style and to the concept of a wholesome and responsible family life. Shaking Everything That Will Shake Hebrews 12:24-29 has special emphasis in this day of the Lord. Everything that can be shaken is being shaken—and everything we can see with our eyes can be shaken! Corruption in High Places, Institutions on trial: The year began with paralysis in Congress over its leaders’ clay feet. Now the spotlight has moved to the Presidency, with a variety of scandals to erode public confidence. The high theater and petty circus sideshows of the process should not diminish our realization that both Congress and the Presidency are on trial; in fact, the whole concept of representative government is on trial. Campaign finance testimony reveals the weakness of rulership of the world by mere mortals. Meredith McGehee, legislative director of Common Cause, stated: "This system is no longer about bribery. It’s flat-out extortion. .. .This money isn’t about ideology, it’s about power." Corruption in government is adding to the cynicism in the people and a longing for just the sort of rulers that Christ’s kingdom will provide: leaders of proven high character. They cannot be bribed—partly because their integrity will have already been put to the test and partly because they will show by being role models that righteousness is preferable to unrighteousness. Royal Highness One of the most highly publicized events of 1997 was the death of Princess Diana. What did it teach the world, and what can we learn? The world seems to have noticed how easily we can be misled by the magic of television into thinking that a human being is bigger than life. Our culture’s gods are electronic images, and many of them seem to live on, though they’ve been dead for years. The world was deeply saddened by the loss of a person who was seen as involved in good causes. Questions were raised about the goodness and power of God, the hope of future beauty, the value of royalty, and whether goodness will win the battle in the end. The death of Mother Theresa the same week heightened the contrast between the media images of the wealthy princess and the poor cleric or, as Daniel Schorr phrased it, "between a life well-lived and a life lived well." For ourselves, we perhaps could reflect upon the power of media to capture the world’s attention and the ease by which we ourselves could be deceived by a compelling media personality. How Can We Watch? The prophetic answer is found in Revelation 15:3. God’s people will stand and sing of God’s justice and love. That implies public confession as well as mental assent. It implies watching and praying, faith and obedience. We will rarely gain insights into these situations by watching our TV sets. There we may hear the news, but we will not see the hidden principles behind the news. We may laugh at sitcoms, but we will not discover spiritual joys. Fellowship with the world through television will distort our perspectives by visions of ever fancier and more powerful automobiles, life-transforming sneakers, and soul-satisfying pizzas. Instead of watching entertainment on television, let us watch world events as they unfold around us. Let our faith increase as we see in these events the confirmation of news written in advance in the sure word of divine prophecy. |
