International relations

“We must have hope for the world”

Photo: Colourbox
We all share one Earth. Seen from a distance, it sparkles with beauty, a beauty that we need to bring into the lives of everyone on the planet, as we search for truth and harmony together.

DAVID MOE
Sun City, Calif.

As we enter the Advent season, reader David Moe offers an inspirational message of hope with a call for stronger international relations and unity among all the people of the world.

Bob Hope once said, “Learn from the past, live for today, keep your hand on your wallet, and don’t worry about tomorrow.” I don’t worry about tomorrow, but I think about it a lot. I’m a future thinker, and we must have hope for the future.

At the present time, let us look at some statistical facts. There are some 7.8 billion people in the world. If you condensed them into 100 persons, here are the facts: Out of 100:

11 are in Europe

5 are in North America

9 are in South America

15 are in Africa

60 are in Asia

7 have earned a college education

93 did not attend college

33 are Christian

22 are Muslims

14 Hindus

7 Buddhists

12 are other religions

12 have no religious beliefs

This is our world! In the Bible, John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world.” It does not say, “God so loved Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists or Jews.” The reality is that 67% of the world’s population is non-Christian.

I do not have any problem with the Bible, but I do have a problem with the variety of interpretations of it. The Old Testament is a Hebrew interpretation of the events in history, and the New Testament, especially the Gospels, is a Christian account of reality. I once heard a Native American say, “We got the Bible, and you got our land.”

My hope for the future is the Great Spirit! I believe it will be the Great Spirit that will work in the hearts and minds of people all over the world, to cooperate to solve the problems of COVID-19, climate change, pollution, propaganda, big lies, etc. I believe the Great Spirit is our last and only hope for the survival of humanity as we know it.

 That is why I believe our colleges and universities must begin to teach our young people (the select 7 %), to have an all-encompassing world view and begin to address the problems of the world. The people of the world all have the same needs. All people need food, clothing, and shelter. All people want respect, recognition, honesty, transparency, and they want their children to have a better life than the one they have had. Beyond that, all people want to experience love in their life and be accepted as an equal human being.

White supremacy is a myth, and the idea that white men are privileged and have special rights is an even larger myth. The fact is that white people, especially white men, are in the minority. The majority of people are: Asian, poorly educated, and non-Christian.

How do we respond to this reality? I think that we in North America and especially those of us in the United States, must redirect our priorities from being the police of the world to becoming the diplomats of the world.

That means our educational systems must put much more emphasis on languages, communication skills, computer skills, human relation skills, and build vision and empathy in our graduates and the public as a whole.

We are one world. One people. We have one God. We are a community of one. Let us unite to solve the problems of the world, because they are too great to be solved by one, two, or even a group of nations. May we learn and accept the truth, as God gives us the vision to see the truth, and the truth will set us free.

This article originally appeared in the Dec. 3, 2021, issue of The Norwegian American. To subscribe, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (206) 784-4617.