Futurology seeks insight about the future by creating future scenarios, scanning the organization's horizon for signals of change, and projecting current trends. Eschatology on the other hand studies the end times or the “last things” on a theological perspective. These two are linked because “last things” are in the future, and they only occur after all other “future things” have happened. How do people of the Jesus Movement embrace the future?
Jesus’ mandate “ to proclaim freedom to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind … [and] to set free the oppressed” (Luke 4: 18,19, Holman Christian Standard Bible) is timeless. He framed this mandate in his time by envisioning a creative future (Gary, 2008) that transcended both the oppressive conventional future pursued by the Roman Empire, and the counter future of revolt schemed by Jewish nationalists. This example calls every disciple to fully embrace their own future and to use the lenses of Biblical wisdom to shape society. How then should one take a sit at the table of civilization, and lead the future (Gary, 2014)?
Emile Zola depicted the 19th century’s world of contrasts and contradictions where some had plenty while others lacked all. In his famous fiction, Germinal, a poor old man complains: “this will turn out badly, for God does not allow so many Christians to be thrown on the street. We don’t have meat every day. But if one had bread! True, if one only had bread.” (Zola, 2013) Zola’s future envisaged “bread” for all. But according to Grant, (2014) research suggests that happiness does not necessarily increase with wealth; it increases when the gap between what one has and what he or she wants narrows. Unfortunately, people tend to want much more and to feel desperate about not having what they want as their wealth increase. Therefore, I am inspired to create neither a future of rich people who never have enough, nor one of poor people who beat drums and dance day and night in an illusion of happiness. I am inspired to help lead society toward a future of people and companies that are wealthy yet “poor in the spirit” (Matthew 5:3, HCSB). What future are you called to create?
References
Gary, J. (2008). The future according to Jesus: A Galilean model of foresight. Futures, 40(7), 630–642.
Gary, J. (2014, October 5). Review of 20th Century Eschatology [Video file]. Retrieved from http://youtu.be/
Grant, M. (2014). Grant: 'inside out' coaching is the order of the day. Coaching at Work, 9(5), 7. Retrieved from http://0-search.
Zola, E. (2013). Germinal: Start Publishing LLC. Retrieved from http://books.google.cm/
