Daily Meditation: Sunday, May 12, 1996

When we see the way things are going in the world today, we …

05/12/1996

When we see the way things are going in the world today, we realize that the worst could happen at any moment: a nuclear war, an epidemic, an environmental disaster, and so on, which could lead to the annihilation of humanity. This is why we hear certain voices announcing that the curses described in the Apocalypse will sweep down on the earth. It is true that the Apocalypse predicts the end of the world; this is written. But in reality, these events are never absolutely predetermined. Depending on how human beings behave, events can take a completely different course. God is not a tyrant commanding cataclysms which cannot be reversed. There is no determinism, no irrevocable destiny, either for a person or for the world as a whole. Human beings have been created with free will, and they determine their future. If they live in disorder and folly, they set chaotic currents in motion and then, of course, the laws of nature, which are the laws of justice, steer them towards disaster. This is logical. But if they decide to quieten down they project harmonious forces around them and, since the balance of nature is no longer disturbed, no harm can come to them.