Question:
You are always talking about how the world is ready and prepared for the Age
of Moshiach. I don't see it. It looks like a pretty awful world to me. Looks
like we've got a long way to go.
Answer:
That's because you don't see where it's coming from, what it used to be and
how much it changed.
Let me illustrate: Nowadays you can call anywhere from anywhere. Imagine a
call to the past. Say you called up your great-grandparents.
"Hi, great-grandma, great-grandpa! This is your great-grandchild calling
from a hundred years later!"
"So wonderful to hear from you! How is life in the 21st century? Do
you have enough to eat?"
"Well, when I want to eat, I go to my refrigerator. It keeps all the
food cold and fresh."
"You only eat cold? Poor thing!"
"No, I stick it in my microwave for a minute and it comes out warm and
cooked."
You go on to describe your menu, including produce and packages from every
part of the world. And not just food, but people, too: You can take a cute
little device out of your pocket and have a conversation with someone anywhere
in the world, anytime. And if you need a piece of information, or to study any
subject, you have access to millions of computers and many helpful people around
the world-without even stepping out the door.
Your home is warm in the winter and cool in the summer. No Cossacks come to
burn it down. In fact, the government provides subsidies so your children can
study Judaism. Even in Moscow, the government helps build places of worship for
Jews, as well as people of all faiths. The people around you teach their
children tolerance and love of peace. The world produces enough food to feed
each of its six billion citizens. Scientists, rather than challenging faith,
point out the mysterious wonders of the universe and its essential oneness. For
the first time in history, war is looked down upon and world peace is a value.
To them, you are describing a miraculous world. A world more distant from
their world than theirs was from the ancients. They could only reach one
conclusion: You must be calling them from the Times of Moshiach.
Yes, you left out a few details. For example, that you still owe the bank for
that house. That the food produced is not reaching those who need it. That the
information superhighway is often used for trash and pornography rather than for
the wisdom it is destined for. That the world is still filled with much evil and
suffering. But the point is, the stage is set, all is in place. Never before has
the world been anywhere near this position. All that's left is for the curtains
to be drawn and the lights to shine on the scene.
