I recently read a provocative blog from my friend Matt Hosier, you can read it yourself here:
http://thinktheology.co.uk/blog/article/not_pinker_but_brighter
Matt himself was commenting on a book he had read, Factfulness by Hans Rosling. Rosling charts how the human condition has improved alongside economic growth and the pessimism most people feel about the world is entirely misplaced.
“Whether it’s the fact that across the world life expectancy is now better than 72 years, or that whereas in 1962 there were only 200 playable guitars for every million people but 11,000 by 2014, Rosling’s message is: things are good – and getting better!”
Rosling says that we are incredibly poor judges of what is happening in the world, given multiple choice questions on the subject the most educated people score worse than would a chimpanzee answering at random. He says that various agencies have a vested interest in making things look worse than they are, e.g. aid agencies do so to raise awareness and cash.
The point that my friend Matt made, that I found challenging, is that Christians can also be guilty of saying things are worse than they are due to our own vested interests!
“The world is going to hell in a handcart – turn to Christ! This isn’t just an occasional slip-up but central to so much of the evangelical narrative, even as evangelicals have played such a significant role in creating the conditions that have allowed for the improvements Rosling describes.”
Whilst the gospel is especially relevant for the poor, it isn’t needed only because people are poor. Everyone needs Christ, whether rich or poor. The gospel isn’t an insurance policy against a world gone bad. The fact that things are getting better is a sign that the gospel is working. Disease being pushed back, longevity increasing, and education available for all are signs of the kingdom breaking in. They are also a sign that things will continue to get better and is going to be a lot better still.
We can and must declare a positive and optimistic message. The gospel works, God is breaking in. Jesus is Lord. Hallelujah.
Written by Tony Thompson
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