Inspired by the five stones David uses in his fight against Goliath, Rick Warren has identified five of the most pressing challenges of our time. According to him, these are spiritual emptiness, extreme poverty, chronic disease, illiteracy, and egocentric leadership. One does not need to ponder too deeply to appreciate the truth in Warren\u2019s thinking. For instance, in Africa, idolatry ran so deep that until recently, Africa was called the \u201cdark continent.\u201d Similarly, many of the continent\u2019s countries are ranked as \u201clow-income\u201d and \u201cleast-developed\u201d countries. Disease, poor education and bad governance are also rampant.<\/p>\n
Remarkably, renowned economic consultant, Jeffrey Sachs, looks to history to arrive at the about same conclusion as Warren. With the exception of spiritual emptiness, Sachs, a former advisor to three UN secretaries-general, mentions all the other issues as significant challenges in our world. Reflecting on lessons learnt from the Paleolithic age, Sachs sounds the alarm that:<\/p>\n
We can be our own worst enemy, or at least our cousins\u2019 worst enemy. Environmental sustainability and peace across cultures may not come naturally, but must be constructed using our abilities to reason and to look ahead.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n This alludes to the importance of visionary – not egocentric \u2013 leadership in creation care. Indeed, very few would argue that poor stewardship of resources is leading to significant imbalances in the ecosystem with resultant impact on everyone. And everyone can help resolve this. In low-income communities, when trash is not properly disposed of, the environment is impacted and often this poor hygiene practice becomes a breeding ground for disease.<\/p>\n Further, Sachs study of the Neolithic age (10,000-3000 BCE) reveals how, like America,<\/p>\n Africa too was deeply disadvantaged, largely cut off from Eurasia by the vast Sahara Desert and burdened by an exceptionally severe disease environment for both humans and farm animals.[2]<\/a><\/p>\n Sachs hereby documents both the economic and healthcare challenge that confronted – and is still confronting – Africa. Alas! Africa is not the only region burdened with poverty and disease. Indeed, even in some western countries, inadequate access to healthcare and high unemployment rates, ensure that an increasing percentage of the population wrestle with these problems.<\/p>\n Yet The Ages of Globalization<\/em> is not merely about uncovering challenges. It is about pointing out characteristics of each age and identifying the lessons that can be learnt from these. Sachs tracks how globalization began in the ocean age (1500-1800) with capitalism riding on the back of seagoing vessels, developed in the industrial age, and is making unimaginable progress in this digital age.<\/p>\n Sachs chronicles how the technological and institutional advancement globalization brings is remarkable, but quickly adds a sobering thought: \u201cyet as we have learned at every phase of history, even seemingly impregnable power can quickly dissipate.\u201d[3]<\/a> Mandela, Tutu, and several other commentators on South Africa\u2019s former Apartheid system would agree. So, while Sachs does not write explicitly about spiritual emptiness<\/em>, his remarks are a caution for established and emerging leaders today, in the words of the prophet Micah, to \u201cdo justly, love mercy, and walk humbly before God.\u201d[4]<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n [1]<\/a> Jefferey D. Sachs. The Ages of Globalization,<\/em> (New York: Columbia University Press, 2020), 40.<\/p>\n [2]<\/a> Sachs, The Ages of Globalization,<\/em> 52<\/p>\n