The writer of the book of Revelation, purportedly the apostle John, wrote of the satisfaction of every hunger and thirst after death. He was probably influenced by that passage in Isaiah (49.9b-11 NRSV):
“They shall feed along the ways,
on all the bare heights shall be their pasture;
they shall not hunger or thirst,
neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them down,
for he who has pity on them will lead them,
and by springs of water will guide them.
And I will turn all my mountains into a road,
and my highways shall be raised up.”
Almost everything that we do today is computerized—from school work to factory work; from the office to the kitchen; we accomplish our work with one click of a button. We have printers that can produce 3-dimensional objects. We can monitor what’s going on in anyplace at a distance. We can talk with someone face to face on the telephone. We have cars that run without a driver; hypersonic missiles that could travel at the speed of 24,000 kilometers per hour. With AI technology, we can virtually create something from scratch. Our computers, smartphones, laptops, tablets are more sophisticated and can do various seemingly impossible tasks.
Not too long ago, economists were heralding globalization: the phenomenon describing how technology and economy made the world interconnected and interdependent. Today the emphasis has shifted to deglobalization — influenced by the trend toward protectionism, in which trade and manufacturing occur near or at home. Coupled with deglobalization is decarbonization; the movement to minimize carbon emission on earth—a response to climate change.
Science and technology are advancing at breathtaking speed. However, half of the world does not have enough food nor access to water, let alone clean and safe water. A huge percentage of the population remain illiterate. As in the days of Isaiah, many still die of hunger and thirst. Each day 25,000 children die of disease and malnutrition. Seven hundred million people live in extreme poverty
Only when we become one world—when every tribe and nation are drawn together before the Creator will there be real peace and justice. Only then will all hunger and thirst be satisfied.
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