APRIL 2019
SAYING ‘I DO’ SHOULD YOU
ELOPE?
FINANCIAL APOCALYPSE?
HOW TO FIGHT ON FACEBOOK . . . AND WIN
A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE ON THE WORLD TODAY
IN THIS ISSUE
APRIL 2019
SAYING “I DO” PAGE 32 Should you consider eloping?
12 CURRENT
4 WHAT IN THE WORLD 12 HOW TO FIGHT ON
FACEBOOK... AND WIN Going head-to-head with internet trolls 18 STREET SIGNS The public speaks out about social media stoushes 20 THE CHALLENGE OF VOLUNTOURISM How to get the most out of your next overseas trip
WELLBEING
26 FATHERHOOD AND
AFFIRMATION The power of positivity
FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA 2
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59
38 DEALING WITH ANXIETY
You’re not alone 50 GO HEALTHY FOR GOOD Health news for every body 52 THE LOW-DOWN ON DAIRY-FREE MILKS
FAITH
FINANCIAL APOCALYPSE? What will the “end time” economy look like? 44 EATING TOGETHER It’s not just about food 54 HEALING THE LAND When environmental restoration is a holy calling 6
/SIGNSOFTHETIMES
CULTURE
59 CHARIOTS OF FIRE:
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT Book review: The Final Race
SCIENCE & TECH
30 THE CUTTING EDGE The latest in science
and technology developments
FUN
62 CROSSWORD & SUDOKU
FROM THE EDITOR
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e don’t need another hero,” belted out Tina Turner in the Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) movie anthem. The defiant chorus echoed the spirit of the times. The Baby Boomer kids were in charge; they’d been raised by World War II survivor parents and seen the disastrous Vietnam conflict play out. The spectre of nuclear annihilation hovered over the 1980s—it was the age of the Cold War, experimental laser weapons and the Rainbow Warrior bombing. And, the Mad Max movies speculated, humanity’s tipping point might not be far away; a future of violent lawlessness awaited, with Sydney a radioactive wasteland. “We don’t need another hero.” The lyric speaks of disenchantment and a refusal to be caught up again in grand narratives of victory or redemption. Because leaders lie and heroes too often go sour on us. Public sentiment hasn’t changed much since then and post-apocalyptic movies are as popular as ever. But a retreat into scepticism won’t fix the world’s problems. We still need heroes. Scott Sabin, for example (p 54), and the environmental restoration his organisation is doing. Or Olympian Eric Liddell (p 59), whose selfless life followed the biblical advice to “run with perseverance the race marked out” (Hebrews 12:1). This month’s Signs also offers us chances to be heroic in our own small way. Whether it’s being a better parent (p 26), resisting the nasty tone seen too often in social media debates (p 12) or reducing poverty during an overseas trip (p 20), we can make a positive difference.
Kent KENT KINGSTON Editor
VOL 134 NO 4 ISSN 1038-9733 EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER Brad Kemp EDITOR Kent Kingston ASSISTANT EDITOR Daniel Kuberek COPYEDITOR Tracey Bridcutt GRAPHIC DESIGN Nerise McQuillan Theodora Amuimuia PHONE +61 2 9847 2222 EMAIL info@signsofthetimes.org.au WEBSITE signsofthetimes.org.au ADDRESS Adventist Media PO Box 1115, Wahroonga New South Wales 2076 SUBSCRIPTIONS Kelli Geelan PHONE +61 3 5965 6300 Australia, $A26; New Zealand, $NZ26; South Pacific countries, $A41; Other countries $A51 Published since 1886, Signs of the Times is printed 11 times a year by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and is registered as a periodical. Seventh-day Adventist Church (SPD) Limited ABN 59 093 117 689 NOTE The inclusion of a person or their image within does not imply their endorsement of the Seventh-day Adventist Church or its beliefs. Unless otherwise stated, Bible verses are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc®. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved worldwide. COVER PHOTO: Ron Rungsaroj
@Kent_SignsMag APRIL 2019 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES
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FA IT H
FINANCIAL
? e s p y l a Apoc What possible reason could God have for allowing a global economic meltdown?
SARINYAPINNGAM—GETTY IMAGES
BY TIM AKA
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ith the numerous and growing strains in the global economy, there are many and varied voices predicting the future. Professionals, pundits and personalities all share their opinions about what is to come in the days ahead, and what to do, if anything. Some would say that this is just the normal cycle in the financial world, a mere bump in the road. Others would point to this omen or that indicator that suggests deeper problems leading to crisis or even an unravelling of the global systems of business upon which we rely. The subject of the “end of the world” captivates the attention of people, whether it be via apocalyptic movies set in a dystopian world, stories of cataclysmic changes in the global order as resources become scarce or even nightmarish tales of an earth overrun by zombies. It may be that these topics capture the attention of those who perceive problems in the current state of affairs for which they see no hope of resolution. The Bible certainly points to an “apocalypse” (even though this is a gross misuse of that word) that portends the end of the world as we know it. But, does the Bible provide any insights into financial conditions at the end of world? While the Bible predicts calamities and even plagues, does it say anything specific about the economics of the “end times?” When we read the book of Revelation, it reveals (the literal meaning of “apocalypse”) a glimpse of the end times through a variety of prophecies. The writer, the apostle John, one of those closest to Jesus, encourages us to read and understand this book. It starts with a message to seven churches—which were both literal churches in his day and allegorical—describing events that affect the followers of Christ in the future. The last of these churches was in Laodicea, in present-day western Turkey. John describes it as a church that is “rich, and increased with goods” and thinks it has “need of nothing” (Revelation 3:17, KJV). While it still professes to be a Christian church its actions make it look indistinguishable from the rest of the culture around it. Another Bible writer describes the church in the latter days as “Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:4). From these sections of the Bible, one might understand that there is great wealth in the church and in society in general in this last days period, as the “believers” mimic the lifestyles of those
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ROMANIAMISSIONS—PIXABAY
Laodicea
around them. The Bible says that they have a “form of godliness” (2 Timothy 3:5) but lack the true character of Christ, the selfless, loving Servant. Many outside the church would likely concur with this description of many Christians today. In fact, some might go as far to say that Christians cause more harm than good in this world—that Christians inflict their beliefs on others, or try to force others to follow their worldview, whether they believe it or not. So the condition of the church as it nears the end of earth’s history is one of affluence—and the economic state of the world is equally so. It should not escape our attention that we are living in the most prosperous age in the history of this earth. Even those of modest means can afford many of the luxuries available today, from technology, entertainment, food, clothing and housing. Perhaps we are living in the era of Laodicea, the final age in the history of the world. But then, the question is, will this last or will there be a financial “apocalypse” as we approach the end?
rebuke and chasten
The ruins of Laodicea, not far from the town of Denizli in south-west Turkey.
The message to Laodicea in Revelation 3:14–22 goes on to say that they are “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked”, in spite of their apparent wealth APRIL 2019 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES
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HOW TO FIGHT ON FACEBOOK . . .
and win
The internet can be a cesspool for strong opinions and aggressive arguments. How can you have a respectful discussion with someone on social media? BY VANIA CHEW
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Duels were eventually discouraged and outlawed—too violent and bloodthirsty. These days, if you’re looking for a fight without physical bloodshed, all you have to do is log on to the internet. You’ll find a plethora of online arguments to choose from and numerous trolls to argue with. Even something as seemingly innocuous as a couple sharing their love story can trigger a slew of salty comments. “I try not to read the comments under online articles,” admits Reb ecca, a 25-year-old from southwest Sydney. “I find myself getting really annoyed at some of the things people say and I don’t want to live with that type of negativity in my life.” “I think it’s important to get involved in the conversation in those situations,” 43-year-old Andrew disagrees. “How can the tide change
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here are you going?” my Uber driver enquired as we began our journey to the airport. I told him I was on my way to the Gold Coast to attend a Christian media conference. “Oh, that’s very interesting,” he said, his eyes lighting up. “Myself, I am Muslim but I find Christian things very interesting.” It has been said that there are three taboo topics you should never discuss in polite company: politics, sex and religion. My driver and I broke the rules by discussing all three. It was a surprisingly easy conversation. I asked him questions about his religion and how it connected to his politics. He asked me questions about my religion, including the expectations around dating and marriage. We found common ground on some areas. We agreed to disagree on others. And although we were stuck in the crux of morning traffic, the time seemed to fly by. When we finally arrived at the airport kerb, he seemed reluctant to say goodbye. “I wish we could have talked longer,” he said frankly. “It’s hard to have chats like this these days. People would rather argue than have a civil conversation.” I know what he meant. In the olden days, perceived offences were often settled with duels. The object of the duel wasn’t necessarily to kill the other person, it was to restore honour to the winner.
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if you’re looking for a fight . . . all you have to do is log on . . .
if people remain silent?” The irony is that most of us would usually not interrupt an argument (ahem, creative discussion) between people in real life, but have no issue in doing so with strangers we’ve only encountered online. According to a 2017 study published in Psychological Science, this is because people respond differently to opinions they read online as opposed to opinions they hear face-to-face— even if it’s via television or videochat. Research from UC Berkeley and the University of Chicago suggests that when we hear an individual explaining their opinion, we’re likely to be kinder and gentler in our responses to them, even if we don’t agree. On the other hand, we feel detached when we read something online. We see the words on the page, but miss the tone, the intent
and the person behind the comment. Unfortunately this affects how we react—even well-meaning comments can attract vitriol and hate. Is the answer, as Rebecca suggests, to simply avoid the arguments? To be honest, this would be my natural inclination; I’m not a fan of unnecessary conflict. But Andrew has a valid point, too—we have the privilege of having a voice and we shouldn’t be afraid to use it, particularly to speak up for the voiceless in situations of injustice. We also shouldn’t be afraid of addressing potentially inflammatory topics. As the conversation between my Uber driver and me illustrates, it is possible to share different opinions and still communicate respectfully. So for all you keyboard warriors out there, here are some tips for APRIL 2019 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES
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The challenge of
VOLUNTOURISM How to help, rather than hinder, on your next overseas trip. BY MARK DELANEY
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t’s so dirty and smelly here! They just need proper flushing toilets!” I was sitting at our home in a north Indian slum, hosting a foreign volunteer. It was exasperating that this young man thought he knew how to fix the many problems in the slum after having been here for a few hours! If he’d listened and learnt for a few weeks before offering “solutions”, he would have realised that the main problem for our neighbours in the slum was actually the lack of stable employment, much more than the lack of flushing toilets. Along with my wife Cathy, and our two sons, I’ve lived in India for 17 years—most of it in various
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slums. We’ve often failed, but sometimes succeeded, in helping life become a little better for our neighbours, who are struggling at the margins of society. My long-term work in India actually came about because of a short-term trip during my university break back in the late ‘80s. One particular incident during that trip was life-changing. With my limited Hindi, I was speaking to a man outside his house—a plastic and wood shack. He explained that his wife had just given birth to their child, only a few days earlier, right there in their home, with no medical help whatsoever. I was struck by this man’s life being so difficult, simply
than a few Facebook posts. During our years in India, we’ve seen dozens of visitors come and go. Their motives are often noble: to learn, to help, to be an encouragement. Sadly however, many well-meaning visits are actually burdensome to people like us—taking up a lot of time that could have been used in helping our struggling neighbours. Even worse, sometimes those trips cause more damage than good, by creating unhealthy dependencies. To help your next trip not be burdensome, but instead be a positive experience for you and your hosts, here are six tips we’d offer from our own experience. APRIL 2019 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES
DANISHKHAN—GETTY IMAGES
by virtue of being born in India, while I had access to world-class education and health care, simply by being born in Australia. I realised the world was not a fair place. I wanted to do something about it. Nowadays, many young (and not so young) people travel from Australia, New Zealand and other wealthy nations to the developing world. They come to see the sights and to experience new things. They sometimes also come to see what poverty looks like “in the flesh”; to meet people like us who are working with the poor, and to help. Some of these trips result in life-changing experiences, as it did for me, but many of them sadly lead to no more
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ELL B EING
DEALING WITH
ANXIETY 38
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Yes, anxiety is a real medical condition. But there are practical strategies and solutions that work. BY ESTHER ESPINOZA
A
nxiety is real. There are people who think that mental illnesses such as panic disorder, anxiety attacks and depression, are figments of the imagination and can be controlled. They see these as signs of weakness and cannot comprehend why that person can’t “pull themselves together and get over it!” However, these conditions are real and the solutions are more complex than a simple application of mental effort.
WUNDERVISUALS—GETTY IMAGES
what is anxiety?
So, what is anxiety? Caryn Levick (ND) from Perpetual Wellbeing describes anxiety in an article featured in GIGI magazine as “a complex feeling of nervousness, fear and worry, often accompanied by shallow breathing, racing heartbeat, sweating and other physical sensations. It is a common condition that can be a response to a stressor. It is a serious condition that makes it difficult for a person to cope with daily life. These
feelings cannot be easily controlled.” In his book The Anxiety Cure, Dr Archibald Hart writes: “Too much stress, stress that hangs around too long or a stress-response system that has too low a threshold raises the level of cortisol being released from the adrenal glands. This increased cortisol finds its way to the brain and blocks the natural tranquilisers from reaching their receptor sites.” High cortisol in the body causes a person to suffer these disorders and feel unwell overall. It is a chemical imbalance.
my first anxiety attack
I was four years old when I suffered my first anxiety attack. The civil war in my country was raging. Every night, for 40 nights, soldiers broke into our house and church and caused havoc. My young mind didn’t completely understand what was going on but I knew it was bad. Tremendous anxiety ripped APRIL 2019 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES
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