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The Future of Humanity: life on Mars?

27 April 2021 blogpastor Leave a comment

It is quite fascinating to read a book like Michio Kaku’s “The Future of Humanity”. It is full of interesting details about outer space and the possibility of human beings becoming a multiplanet species that can colonise Mars and other planets. This is not a review as I have not completed the book but an off-the-cuff reflection on some of the things I have read thus far.

I FELT ASTOUNDED

I felt astounded by the arrogant assumptions and imaginations of migrating people to other planets, particularly Mars, and the sheer amount of money that countries and private citizens were prepared to invest in their pursuit of this vision. I felt equally saddened that such energy, vision, passion and resources would not be harnessed to practise love of our poorer neighbour countries and human community. I find it tragic that a richly resourced country like the USA, and billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have visions of conquering space and colonising Mars instead of redistributing their wealth. Visions with love of neighbour is always greater, grander, nobler and more inspiring and leaves unforgettable legacies. I suppose human nature being what it is, we should not expect from humans anything more than the pursuit of self-interest.

WILL EARTH BECOME EXTINCT?

The reasons for making humans a multiplanet species is the supposed danger of earth’s extinction. Possibilities of self-destruction include global warming, modern nuclear as well as biological warfare, and an expanding population with limited resources. Then there are natural disasters we have no control over, like pandemics (covid-19 came after the book was published in 2018), onset of another ice age, colossal eruption of the super-volcano under Yellowstone National Park, future meteor and comet impacts on earth, and the expansion of the sun. Escaping to another planet would be the Plan B and Mars currently seem the best candidate for forming a human colony before earth becomes extinct.

The way I see it there is no need to do all this. The future of earth and humanity is already clearly and plainly revealed for us in the Bible. Let me quote a few passages of scriptures regarding this. Jesus in answering a question the disciples asked, “What will be the sign of your coming, and of the close of the age?” said to his disciples: “For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matt 24:5-14)

Peter the chief of the apostles of Christ had this to say about the end of this age: ^“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:10-13)

Both passages speak of a frightening and climactic period of great human distress, natural disasters and destruction leading to the final and glorious appearance and coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to rule an earth that has been purged and regenerated by God’s power and creativity into a new heaven and new earth where justice and righteousness will be established.

The future will not be life on Mars, but life on a renewed heaven and earth for all of God’s people.

This is my firm belief too, so reading this fantastically put together future of life on Mars, while thrilling and astounding, left me feeling déjà vu, like viewing in slow motion another Tower of Babel ending about to unfold.

Lord GOD, You control the future of humanity and what it looks like has been revealed by Your prophets. We pray for wisdom to live with this revelation in mind, as we look forward to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to consummate the end of this age. Amen and Amen.

Japan Earthquake: Judgment of God? Door of Hope?

20 March 2011 blogpastor Leave a comment

Tokyo governor’s political hari kiri

On March 14, 2011, just three days after an earthquake of 9.0 and tsunami struck north-eastern Japan, the Tokyo governor issued a statement he might regret and pay a political price for. The earthquake, he proclaimed, was divine judgment on the Japanese people. It was “tenbatsu”, the unerring and inevitable divine retribution on the wicked, in particular the “gayoku” (egoism, arrogance) of the Japanese people. Shintaro Ishihara, 79, a novelist, stage and screen actor and champion of the Japanese political right, is serving his third term as governor. Not a smart thing to say but he is known for being a lightning rod for sweeping and flammable remarks.

Chinese new media polarized

The Chinese netizens welcomed the destruction of this proud people who refused to repent and apologise to the satisfaction of the Chinese, for their WW2 invasion and atrocities in China. A huge outcry and battle has ensued in the Chinese new media, between those who rejoice and welcome the wrath of nature on the recalcitrant Japanese and those who felt that in such natural catastrophe the only appropriate response is compassion, not giving vent to pent-up historical and hysterical anger.

Preach it!

So far no preacher has said it is the judgment of God for Japanese wickedness. At least no notable one that has generated international publicity. In 2005, Pat Robertson the fundamentalist TV evangelist said Hurricane Katrina was God’s judgment on some past court decision that favoured abortionists. And the attack on the Twin Towers in 2001 was said by both Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell to be God’s punishment on America’s support of the abortionists and gays.

The experts

Seismologists say it is part of a pattern. Earthquake specialists see this earthquake as part of the third cluster of earthquakes the earth has seen. The two previous clusters were in the 1830s and between 1952 and 1965. What have been observed are not just the clusters but also the increased frequency of earthquakes although part of the increase could be explained by increased number of seismographs that had been set up.

The Bible and the End

There is always talk about the end of the world when such major catastrophes strike the earth. This should not be surprising because Jesus said, “See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs” (Matt. 24:6-8). Birthpangs is a powerful metaphor that denotes increasing frequency and intensity of contraction pains in the mother about to give birth to new life. Jesus said that wars, famines and earthquakes will be like birth pangs, increasing in frequency and severity before “the end” came.

Interestingly St Paul also spoke of the groaning of the whole creation as in “the pains of childbirth”. In Romans 8:19-22, he pictured the whole of creation under the weight of bondage to decay and frustration from God’s verdict on the sin of Adam. It’s under great strain and in labor. It is groaning. To be liberated. To give birth to a glorious new age: where the children of God in their resurrection bodies dwell with God in a new heaven and earth.

Romans 8: 19: For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that^[h] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. ²² We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³ Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.

Harbinger of Christian Hope

The use of birth pangs of a mother in labour harks back to Jesus own metaphor of the end of the age. Wars and famines and earthquakes in various places. In increasing severity and frequency like the birth pangs of a pregnant mother about to give birth to new life. If this is so, the Japanese 9.0 earthquake and tsunami, tragic and sad as we may feel about it, is but one in a series of catastrophic events that will wrack the earth with greater ferocity and quickening rhythm. And it is but a harbinger of the consummation of the Christian hope, a precursor of the age to come, when the children of God will be revealed in glorious power and divine vindication. The dead would be raised, the judgment delivered, and the new earth and heaven inherited and inhabited by the redeemed of the Triune God. What a blast that would be!

Let me emphasize that this world is not hurtling out of control into self destruction but moving purposefully toward a glorious end: the coming of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, the great judgment, the new heaven and the new earth. This is our sure and steadfast hope. Maranatha!