“Predicting” Tomorrow


I guess giving a challenge to an audience has become a conversation-opener in the social media these days, just as talking about the weather used to serve as one before the invention of smart phones😊. So, let me challenge you to take a minute or so to think about your future, and answer this question - 'If you could predict your tomorrow, what would it look like?' I’m so certain that many of you would optimistically respond to it. You would come up with many positive remarks despite the current awful world scenario of COVID19, which not only brought so many devastation of human lives, but also also ripped off our bright expectations of the future.

The world we live in has shown exponential growth in many aspects: wealth, population, technology and life styles. Society has become closer to one another, share valuable information via the aid of advanced tech at its fingertips. Yet, it has not and won’t be able to rightly predict what would happen to its habitat in the future, even the very near one! Unfortunately, we humans can only be certain of the most obvious – the now (what’s going on as we speak). Nothing more.

One lesson, among many, the recent corona virus pandemics (COVID19) has taught and proved to us is the inability to predict the future and prevent such an unseen catastrophe before it happens. Despite the 21st century advancement in so many spheres of life, none can be sure of what’s going to happen tomorrow, let alone in the future - sadly. Don’t take me wrong - I’m no pessimist at all. Neither am I against those who put approximate predictions based on data and other scientific evidence. In fact, I believe in the current and future generation’s potential to change the world we inhabit and beyond. I believe we’re given the capability to use our brains for this purpose. In this regard, like many of you, I am appreciative of the drastic changes we have been experiencing as a result of human innovations. One example could be the benefits we reap as a result of the internet. No doubt we’re living in a hotbed of continuous progress that’s merging human intelligence with technology like we have never seen before.

I can imagine, too, how the future generation would be able to live - happier, more successful and advanced than their predecessors who strived and paved this road of for them. I have to admit, though, at times, I prefer to look back to what some of us call ‘the good old days’ - our past than the future. I dream of going back and relive at least some of those days, in spite of the present day progress. I cherish the past; I value the most timeless virtues we learned from those times, some of which have vanished not to be returned. In fact, I sometimes consider technology as an enemy of such experiences as family love, communal growth, respect for the old, laughter in the neighborhood, security and so on. That's why at times thinking of the future gives me a goose flesh, especially, when I think of what more virtues it may damage.
On the other hand, numerous scientific progress in space research, medical science, power & energy, software engineering, and the like have opened up new vistas in diagnosing cancer, improvement in communication, educational opportunities, and, in general, enhancing the quality of human lives. These are great breakthroughs of human innovation. Thanks to them we are far better off today than the yesteryears. I believe no one can deny these facts. In addition, these would give us hope of what great transformation could still become a reality, say in 10 to 15 years’ time. However, let me take you back to the challenge I raised at the beginning - ‘If you could predict your tomorrow, what would it look like?’

To sum up, it is so easy to be overwhelmed by misery and panic in the world today. Pandemics, civil war, cancer, unemployment, all find a way to steal our hope and cause us to doubt that there is a good future ahead. Yet, God promises us that he has plans for us that are of a good future with hope! Jeremiah 29:11 says, “ ‘For I know the plans I have for you’ declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you., plans to give you hope, and a future.”. Isn't that wonderful? Relying on the scriptural word is what makes us hopeful about the future. Other than that, accurately predicting the future as human beings is just next to impossible, if not altogether futile. Because nobody knows what the future unfolds. No one knows or accurately predicts what’s to come tomorrow. That's why the age-old book, the scriptures, say in James 4:13-15, “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’ ”

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