What Future for Us and Our Children?
A FAMILY cannot spend more than it makes and remain solvent. A nation cannot pay out more than it takes in and still prosper; nor can we continue our deficit spending of the environment. We cannot squander more soil than is formed, create more carbon dioxide than plants can use, cut down more trees than we replace, pollute more air and water than earth can recycle. Environmental deficits, like national deficits, will demand an accounting. They will be paid, either in money and international cooperation or in lives—ours and our children’s.
Modern technology has made the ruining of the earth possible. It could be used to prevent it. Why isn’t it? Love of money. It would cost billions. This world cannot see—or in its selfishness will not see—beyond its own shortsighted materialistic desires. Since it refuses to pay in money, it will pay in loss of topsoil, loss of forests, loss of aquifers, hothouse atmosphere, poisoned water, mounting sickness, human lives. And to hold onto its money, this world is selling off its children’s future.
Will it wake up in time? History’s answer is not reassuring, but God’s answer is. Jehovah God himself says that he will step in and “bring to ruin those ruining the earth.” (Revelation 11:18) He will remove from earth those ruining its environment and destroying its beauty, for he created it to be life-sustaining and beautiful. “The heavens are my throne, and the earth is my footstool,” he says, and: “I shall glorify the very place of my feet.”—Isaiah 66:1; 60:13.
He created it to be inhabited by people who love righteousness—and it will be, by millions who once lived in the past, by millions who are living now, and by millions of children yet to be born. This he has recorded in his Word, the Bible, and you can read it for yourself at Isaiah 45:18 and John 5:28, 29.
Then, cared for by those who love it, the earth will regenerate itself into the beauty with which our Creator originally endowed it. Then righteously disposed persons and their children will have a future, a glorious one: “Just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more; and you will certainly give attention to his place, and he will not be. But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace. The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.”—Psalm 37:10, 11, 29.
And never die? And never die! “God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:3, 4) Too good to be true? No, this present wicked world is too bad to remain.—Daniel 2:44.
But you and your children can remain. Jehovah God makes it possible through the sacrifice of his Son. To learn of Jehovah and of his Son will mean everlasting life for you and your children—life in a new world wherein righteousness is to dwell. (John 3:16; 17:3; 2 Peter 3:13) This can be the happy future for you and your children. Whether it is or not is up to you.