News and Prophecy Staff

Mankind has long desired to live forever, yet finding the fountain of youth has been elusive. While life-expectancy rates have increased greatly in Western nations since the widespread availability of clean water supplies and sanitation facilities, such advances, along with the miracles of modern medicine, seem to be approaching a limit in their effectiveness at lengthening the human lifespan much further.

The God of the universe is brilliant in so many ways. His ability to remember and anticipate mankind’s mistakes is humbling. His creation constantly illustrates “His invisible attributes” (Romans 1:20) and His involvement with mankind. About 150 years ago, plastic was invented. This amazing substance has transformed the world in many positive ways, but as we now understand, it is also causing serious health and environmental problems. Plastic brings up the age-old question related to science and technology: “Just because we can do it, should we?”

U.S. News and World Report recently published this year’s list ranking nations according to their citizens’ quality of life (CNBC, September 26, 2024).

A reporter recently observed, “The European Union brought peace and prosperity to a troubled region in the decades following World War Two. But it may lack energy and become impotent in the decades ahead” (Reuters, September 16, 2024).

Cuba, like North Korea, is one of a few nations with a centrally planned economy, rationing out to their people items of basic sustenance. After the Cuban Revolution that ended in 1959, the ration book became a cornerstone of Fidel Castro’s government. It gave Cubans access to government-subsidized bread, milk, meat, fish, and cleaning supplies. In recent years, however, items have been removed from the ration book and prices have risen—creating a real crisis in a nation where the average citizen makes only $15 per month.