10 July | Youth
«Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.» 1 Corinthians 10:11
Let us assume there is a time machine capable of transporting people from the past to this year. Who would you put in this machine? Let us imagine some situations. Personally, I would like to see the reaction of some antediluvians seeing the current situation of our planet. I imagine they would be surprised by the pollution, the scientific progress, the size of the cities and the lack of vegetation. It is possible that they would also miss dinosaurs and other animals. On the other hand, I think they would not be bothered by the current immorality and would even be excited by the easy access to promiscuity.
The second group I would bring in would be Romans who lived in the first century. I imagine they would go to football stadiums, clubs and try all kinds of exotic cuisine. After all, entertainment and “belly worship” were part of their routine. Still in the itinerary, the Romans would watch MMA fights, in order not to lose the habit of consuming violence.
The next group would be composed by the Waldensians, a group of 12 century Christians who loved the Scriptures and suffered intense persecution from the Roman church. Many of them were even killed for hiding Bibles in their homes. I imagine that the Waldensians would be amazed at the large number of Bibles available and also at people's lack of interest in studying the Word of God.
Lastly, I would like to see the reaction of the pioneers of the Seventh-day Adventist Church upon seeing the progress of the movement, after 160 years of its organization. Many would be amazed by the number of schools, hospitals, publishing houses, media centers and churches around the world. However, I believe that they would be worried about the lukewarmness and unpreparedness of many members regarding the return of Jesus.
And you? Who would you like to bring through time? What positive and negative aspects would they see in your life? Although this time machine does not exist, today we can look in the “rearview mirror” of history and learn from the mistakes and successes of the past.