Someone Really Does Care
THOUSANDS of people show that they really care. They do not take the callous, selfish view that the problems of others are none of their concern. Instead, they do all that they can—sometimes even putting their own lives at risk—to alleviate suffering. This is an immense task, one that is complicated by powerful forces beyond their control.
Such factors as greed, political intrigue, wars, and natural disasters can frustrate even “the most enlightened and determined efforts to eradicate hunger,” says one aid worker. Eliminating hunger is only one of many problems that caring people face. They also battle things like disease, poverty, injustice, and the immense suffering caused by war. But are they winning?
The chief executive of one aid agency said that those who make such “enlightened and determined efforts” to alleviate hunger and pain are like the compassionate Samaritan described in Jesus Christ’s illustration. (Luke 10:29-37) But whatever they do, he said, the number of victims just keeps on growing. So he asked: “What should the good Samaritan do if he travels the same route every day for several years and finds another victim of the muggers each week at the roadside?”
It would be easy to succumb to what has been described as ‘the deadly illness of donor fatigue’ and simply give up in frustration. To their credit, those who really care do not give up. (Galatians 6:9, 10) For example, a man who wrote to Britain’s Jewish Telegraph commended Jehovah’s Witnesses, who during the time of Nazi Germany “helped thousands of Jews to survive the miseries of Auschwitz.” “When food was scarce,” the writer said, “they shared their bread with our [Jewish] brothers and sisters!” The Witnesses kept doing what they could with the resources they had.
Yet, the reality is that no amount of sharing of bread will bring a complete end to human suffering. This is in no way meant to devalue what compassionate people have done. Any action that properly lessens suffering is worthwhile. Those Witnesses eased the pain of fellow prisoners somewhat, and Nazism was eventually destroyed. However, the world system that causes such oppression survives, and uncaring people still abound. Indeed, “there is a generation whose teeth are swords and whose jawbones are slaughtering knives, to eat up the afflicted ones off the earth and the poor ones from among mankind.” (Proverbs 30:14) Likely, you wonder why this is the case.
Why Poverty and Oppression?
Jesus Christ once said: “You always have the poor with you, and whenever you want to you can always do them good.” (Mark 14:7) Did Jesus mean that poverty and oppression would never end? Like some people, did he believe that such suffering is part of a plan of God to give compassionate ones the opportunity to show how much they care? No! Jesus did not believe that. He was simply making the point that poverty would be part of life as long as this system of things exists. But Jesus also knew this: It was not his heavenly Father’s original purpose to have such conditions on the earth.
Jehovah God created the earth to be a paradise, not a place plagued with poverty, injustice, and oppression. He showed how much he cared for the human family by making wonderful provisions that would add to the enjoyment of life. Why, consider the very name of the garden in which our first parents, Adam and Eve, found themselves! It was called Eden, meaning “Pleasure.” (Genesis 2:8, 9) Jehovah did not limit humans to the bare necessities for survival in some drab, oppressive environment. At the conclusion of his creative work, Jehovah surveyed what he had made and declared that it was “very good.”—Genesis 1:31.
Well, then, why are poverty, oppression, and other causes of suffering rampant earth wide today? The present wicked system of things exists because our original parents chose to rebel against God. (Genesis 3:1-5) This raised the question of whether it was right for God to demand obedience from his creatures. So Jehovah has allowed Adam’s descendants a limited period of independence. God still cared about what happened to the human family. He made provision for undoing all the harm that rebellion against him would produce. And very soon, Jehovah will end poverty and oppression—in fact, all suffering.—Ephesians 1:8-10.
A Problem Beyond Human Solution
Through the centuries since man’s creation, mankind has moved ever further away from Jehovah’s standards. (Deuteronomy 32:4, 5) In their continued rejection of God’s laws and principles, humans have fought one another, and “man has dominated man to his injury.” (Ecclesiastes 8:9) All efforts to bring about a truly just society, free of everything that plagues the suffering masses, have been thwarted by the selfishness of those who want to do things their own way rather than submit to God’s sovereignty.
There is another problem—one that many might dismiss as superstitious nonsense. The instigator of rebellion against God is still inciting people to badness and selfishness. He is Satan the Devil, and Jesus Christ called him “the ruler of this world.” (John 12:31; 14:30; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John 5:19) In the revelation given to the apostle John, Satan is identified as the predominant source of woe—the one primarily responsible for “misleading the entire inhabited earth.”—Revelation 12:9-12.
Regardless of how much some people care about their fellow humans, they will never be able to remove Satan the Devil or to change this system that fosters an ever-increasing number of victims. What, then, is required to solve mankind’s problems? The solution is not simply someone who cares. There is a need for someone with the will and the power to get rid of Satan and his entire unjust system.
“Your Will Take Place . . . Upon Earth”
God promises to destroy this wicked system of things. He has both the will and the power needed to do so. (Psalm 147:5, 6; Isaiah 40:25-31) In the prophetic Bible book of Daniel, it is foretold: “The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be brought to ruin. And the kingdom itself will not be passed on to any other people. It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite”—yes, forever. (Daniel 2:44) Jesus Christ had this lasting and benevolent heavenly government in mind when he taught his disciples to petition God in prayer: “Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.”—Matthew 6:9, 10.
Jehovah will answer such prayers because he really does care about the human family. According to the prophetic words of Psalm 72, God will authorize his Son, Jesus Christ, to bring lasting relief to the poor, the afflicted, and the oppressed who support Jesus’ rulership. Thus, the inspired psalmist sang: “Let him [God’s Messianic King] judge the afflicted ones of the people, let him save the sons of the poor one, and let him crush the defrauder. . . . He will deliver the poor one crying for help, also the afflicted one and whoever has no helper. He will feel sorry for the lowly one and the poor one, and the souls of the poor ones he will save. From oppression and from violence he will redeem their soul, and their blood will be precious in his eyes.”—Psalm 72:4, 12-14.
In a vision involving our day, the apostle John beheld “a new heaven and a new earth,” a completely new system of things established by God. What a blessing for suffering mankind! Foretelling what Jehovah would do, John wrote: “I heard a loud voice from the throne say: ‘Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his peoples. And 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.’ And the One seated on the throne said: ‘Look! I am making all things new.’ Also, he says: ‘Write, because these words are faithful and true.’”—Revelation 21:1-5.
Yes, we can believe these words, for they are faithful and true. Jehovah will soon act to rid the earth of poverty, hunger, oppression, sickness, and all injustice. As this magazine has often pointed out from the Scriptures, an abundance of evidence shows that we are living in the time when these promises will be fulfilled. God’s promised new world is at hand! (2 Peter 3:13) Soon, Jehovah will “swallow up death forever” and will “wipe the tears from all faces.”—Isaiah 25:8.
Until that happens, we can be glad that even now there are people who genuinely care. A greater cause for gladness is that Jehovah God himself really cares. He will soon eliminate all oppression and suffering.
You can have absolute trust in Jehovah’s promises. His servant Joshua certainly did. Without any reservations, he told God’s ancient people: “You well know with all your hearts and with all your souls that not one word out of all the good words that Jehovah your God has spoken to you has failed. They have all come true for you. Not one word of them has failed.” (Joshua 23:14) While the present system of things remains, therefore, do not let yourself be overwhelmed by the trials you may have to face. Throw all your anxiety upon Jehovah, for he really does care.—1 Peter 5:7.
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In God’s promised new world, the earth will be free of poverty, oppression, sickness, and injustice