As the world pauses this week to remember the tragic events of September 11 last year we cannot help noticing the tremendous changes that have occurred in the wake of that disaster.

On the economic front, the cracks that were already developing in some of the major world economies have produced some major collapses. Tourism and the airline industry around the world has suffered a major blow. In the political arena we have seen the war in Afghanistan, and the loss of many lives, and now, there is the growing threat of war with Iraq.

Perhaps the greatest effect of September 11 however, has been the unsettling of the thinking of ordinary people with regard to the future. A few years ago when we approached the end of a millennium, there was a flurry of interest in the prophecies of doom that were linked to that event. However, as the new millennium began with nothing amiss, a new level of optimism began to develop. World economies were prospering (on the whole), world politics were relatively stable (except for a few remote trouble spots like Israel), and there seemed to be a general feeling of well-being about the future.

And then came September 11! In what must be the greatest military coup of all time, a handful of dedicated fanatics, armed with nothing more than what you could buy at a department store for a few dollars, caused billions of dollars worth of damage, destroyed several thousand lives and sent shock-waves around the world.

But, perhaps the greatest effect of all has been the shattering of the confidence of the civilized world. Up until last year there were only a few places in the world where the fear of terrorism led to extreme security precautions. Now it is the norm everywhere. You cannot even carry a small nail-file onto a plane for a local domestic flight, or leave a bag in a public place. Untold millions of dollars have been spent around the world on upgrading security, and everyone has become suspicious of strangers. Our world is no longer the safe and secure place many once thought it to be.

In such a climate of insecurity a new level of uncertainty about the future has crept into our thinking. When, in the space of a couple of hours the whole civilized world could be shaken to its foundations, many have come to realize that the future may not be as secure as once we thought. When thousands of ordinary office workers could set off for work in the morning but never make it to morning tea break, life suddenly takes on a new perspective. As I mentioned in a previous newsletter, my Year 6 Scripture class commented that the greatest problem facing mankind is 'death'. A year ago, children of that age would hardly have given it a thought.

In some ways, however, this shattering of confidence in the future can be a good thing! It can cause us to look beyond the materialistic values of the present, that can so easily be destroyed, to the eternal values that are secure. Qualities such as love, joy and peace that are among the "fruits" of God's spirit, and are independent of our current circumstances, begin to come to the fore.

So, too, does a view of the world that is not based on the myth of evolutionary progress, but on the revelation of an omnipotent and loving Heavenly Father. When the world falls apart around us, or threatens to, and our plans for the future seem very shaky, it is comforting to know that the future is securely in the hands of God.

Today we focus on the role of Education in preparing our children for the future. It is important to recognise that any such preparation is incomplete without a living relationship to God. It is only in such a relationship that we can face the future with confidence. As some wise person once said: "I do not know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future". It was this understanding of God that brought me to surrender my life to Him over forty years ago. I have never regretted that decision.

It is good to recognise the great work that is being done in our Education system and to honour those who carry the great responsibility of educating our children. But we do well to remember the wisdom of the ancients who said "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." (Prov 9:10) If we neglect this aspect of the training of our children, the rest may well be wasted.

One of the things we have been learning afresh in our studies of the Book of Revelation at Home Group is that there are clearly going to be more rough times in the future. If you do not have a godly certainty about your future but would like to, please contact me as soon as possible.

John Davies
8 September 2002