Where Is This World Heading?

Serious problems and shocking events have become everyday news around the world! What does it mean?

PERSONAL SECURITY: Bombs set off in marketplaces. Teachers and students shot in school. Infants snatched away when parents turned their backs. Women and elderly men mugged in broad daylight.

THE RELIGIOUS SCENE: Churches back factions in war. Clergy charged in genocide. Priests sexually exploit young people; church cover-up. Decline in attendance; church buildings sold.

THE ENVIRONMENT: Forests stripped for commercial ventures. Woodlands laid bare by the poor in search of fuel. Groundwater polluted, unsafe to drink. Fishing ruined by industrial waste and some modern methods. Air choked with pollution.

 EARNING A LIVING: Per capita income for sub-Saharan Africa reported to be about $480 (U.S.) a year. Corporate greed leads to business collapse, leaving thousands without work. Fraud causes investors to lose life savings.

FOOD SHORTAGES: Some 800,000,000 people worldwide regularly go to bed hungry.

WAR: Over 100,000,000 people lost their lives as a result of war in the 20th century. Enough nuclear weapons on hand to destroy all mankind many times. Civil wars. Terrorism reaches out to engulf the globe.

PESTILENCE AND OTHER ILLNESS: Starting in 1918, the Spanish flu killed 21,000,000 people. AIDS has now become “the most devastating pandemic in human history.” Cancer and heart disease bring grief worldwide.

Look beyond the single news items. Are they isolated events? Or are they part of a global pattern that has real significance?

 [Box/Picture on page 5]

Does God Really Care?

Distressed by shocking events or by severe personal loss, many people wonder why God does not intervene to prevent such things.

God does care. He provides sound guidance and genuine relief now. (Matthew 11:28-30; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17) He has laid the basis for permanently putting an end to violence, sickness, and death. His provisions show that he cares not merely for people of one nation but for people of all nations, tribes, and tongues.​—Acts 10:34, 35.

How much do we care? Do you know who the Creator of heaven and earth is? What is his name? What is his purpose? He answers these questions in the Bible. There he tells us what steps he is taking to put an end to violence as well as sickness and death. In order to benefit, what is required on our part? We need to learn about him and his purpose. How can we expect to benefit from his provisions unless we show faith in him? (John 3:16; Hebrews 11:6) It is also necessary to obey his requirements. (1 John 5:3) Do you care enough to do that?

To comprehend why present conditions are permitted by God, we must understand a vital issue. The Bible explains it. On page 15 of this publication, this issue is identified.