“The conflicts and tensions that exist between nations, races and cultures
seem so intractable that it is tempting to believe that peace isn’t possible, that
things will never change. This is not true. It’s just that it takes more time than
we would like for the process of blending so many peoples and cultures to
take place. In the past most of the world’s peoples were isolated and seldom
interacted with others very different from themselves. Now it is happening at
a pace undreamt of just a few generations ago.”
Consider all this within the perspective of history and the vision of the
New Church being established on earth. Jeremy used as his text Micah 4:4:
“Everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make
them afraid; for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken.”
Imagine how many thousands of years we have lived with that promise. To
our earth-bound experience, it defies patience. But in the spiritual continuum
that the Lord sees, it is all in His order and moving in the right direction.
Jeremy quoted Apocalypse Explained 461, explaining that the successive
state of churches on earth is like “the successive states of a person who is being
reformed and regenerated.” So the world is “growing up,” similar to the way
we all do.
“Combining this id ea with the one about connecting all people of the
earth, it is not hard to imagine that the interactions between nations and
cultures would at first be immature and difficult, and only gradually become
more peaceful and positive, as the world ‘grows up.’
“An argument could be made that this blending of cultures and peoples is
what is going on in the world today – even that it is the most important thing
happening on this planet.”
We may wonder if the eventual establishment of the New Church
throughout the world will bring real peace, or if the Church will forever be a
minority, but the Olympic Games do still offer “a vision of peace that includes
everyone on earth. The intense competition can be seen as symbolizing the
efforts needed by all people if that peace is really to happen.”
That prophecy from Micah begins with the familiar: “Nation shall not lift
up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”
It is easy to be pessimistic about where the world seems headed and
how long it is taking to give hope to Micah’s vision. But Jeremy offers the
counterpoint: “The world is growing up and coming together. The Word is
being spread, and it is connecting us with heaven.”
There is gold in our future.
(BMH)
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