I believe that many (not all) of the social ills of this world are a result of the megatrend towards urbanization - and all that it entails.
Living in large metropolitan centers changes the way people think - and vote.
You can see the results of that in almost every provincial, state, or federal election. Voting patterns are very predictable.
Our Provincial election results yesterday were no exception.
Today, 55% of the global population live in cities. By 2050, those numbers are projected to reach 70%.
Fortunately, megacities are not the solution the Lord has in mind for us at the "renewal of all things".
The number of verses from the OT and NT that describe various aspects of this are too numerous to list here.
It's the reason why Peter said this while addressing the crowd in Solomon's Collonade:
"Heaven must take Him in until the time comes for the restoration of all things, which God announced long ago through His holy prophets".
Acts 3:21
It wasn't just a few statements from a couple of them. All of them from Enoch to Malachi - with perhaps the exception of Jonah (which was mostly an account of the Lord's dealing with the city of Nineveh) - include statements describing events leading up to or during this restoration.
What the Lord has in mind for us is quite the opposite of the current megatrend towards urbanization.
You're probably familiar with this one:
Then a shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse,
and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him—
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and strength,
the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD.
And He will delight in the fear of the LORD.He will not judge by what His eyes see,
and He will not decide by what His ears hear,
but with righteousness He will judge the poor,
and with equity He will decide for the lowly of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth
and slay the wicked with the breath of His lips.
Righteousness will be the belt around His hips,
and faithfulness the sash around His waist.The wolf will live with the lamb,
and the leopard will lie down with the goat;
the calf and young lion and fatling will be together,
and a little child will lead them.
The cow will graze with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
The infant will play by the cobra’s den,
and the toddler will reach into the viper’s nest.
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all My holy mountain,
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD
as the sea is full of water.Isaiah 11:1-9
Contrary to what you often hear in church today, these statements aren't just metaphors.
