Shownotes
Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy
Welcome to Day 878 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
The State of the World, Life Span – Ask Gramps
Thank you for joining us for our five days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 878 of our trek, and it is time for our Philosophy Friday series. Each Friday we will ponder some of the basic truths and mysteries of life, and how they can impact us in creating our living legacy.
As we continue on this trek called life, sometimes we have questions about life, so our Friday trek is a time where we can Ask Gramps. Gramps will answer questions that you would like to ask your dad or granddad, but for whatever reason, are unable to do so.
No matter how old we are, I know that all of us would like the opportunity to ask dad or gramps questions about life in many areas. We will address areas such as finances, relationships, health/fitness, business/work, home repairs/renovations, seasons of life, spiritual/Biblical questions, and any others areas that come our way.
As your fellow sojourner and mentor on this trek that we call life, it is Gramps’s goal to provide you with practical wisdom and advice about any area of life. It is crucial that I receive a constant flow of questions, so please submit your questions to guthrie@wisdom-trek.com. And Gramps will answer your questions on our Friday podcast.
We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. Since this is a week of travel for Granny & Gramps, today’s episode will be shorter and serve as the 1st part of my answer to today’s question.
“Hey Gramps, listening to most news sources and even many preachers, it seems like the world is getting worse each year, but is that really the case?”
The State of the World, Life Span
While there are concerns about the moral and ethical direction of many cultures throughout the world today, there have been many times in ages past where it was much worse. One example is the Roman Empire, where immorality was widespread, slavery and servitude were rampant, people were massacred for sport, and there were wars and rumors of war all over the world. In comparison, the world today is pretty mild.
The area that we will focus on today is the contextualizing improvements in human progress. This includes the worldwide level of poverty, lifespan, and the related death rates. Here are a few facts to consider.
With the exception of lifespans before the flood of Noah, from that point forward lifespans have become shorter with each age until recent history.
It’s hard to remember how extraordinary the world is today when we’re bombarded 24/7 by news about problems and disasters. History provides valuable context, however.
- Some 700 years ago, the Plague killed 200 million people in a single year – 40 percent of England.
- About 500 years ago, famine claimed 3 million lives in France.
- 100 years ago (in 1918) World War I claimed 16 million lives while the flu pandemic caused 50 million deaths, all in a single year.
If these were our current headlines, we would be in shock.
We forget how much the world has progressed in the past century alone.
The per-capita income for every nation on the planet has tripled. The human lifespan has doubled. The cost of food has dropped thirty-fold. The cost of transportation decreased hundreds of fold. The cost of communications reduced millions of fold.
The human lifespan is another way to contextualize progress:
- During the days after the flood, the average lifespan continued to decline. Food in many areas of the world was scarce, and infant mortality was high. While many people lived to be older, the average lifespan dipped to about 30.
- In the Middle Ages, the average human lifespan grew to 35.
- Just a century ago, it was the mid-40’s.
- Today, it’s around 80.
There are breakthroughs in medicine today that will add 20, 30, or more healthier years to our lives. Before too long 100 years old will be the new 60. Within a few decades exponentially growing technologies will extend the healthy human lifespan to well over 100.
Just think about the growth and outreach of God’s Word in the world today. We have never had a better opportunity and more tools to reach the world for His kingdom. We need to take advantage of this opportunity.
This is just the beginning of the improvements and positive aspects that we are seeing revealed in our world today. This will give you enough to think about for this week. Next week on Ask Gramps, I will continue to explain why I think in many areas, the world is becoming better. As the Apostle Paul taught his apprentice Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2, “Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.”
If you have a question you would like answered, please email it to guthrie@wisdom-trek.com, and Gramps will answer it on our Friday podcast with the wisdom and philosophy that Gramps has gained over his years of experience and study. I know you will find these insights interesting, practical, and profitable in living a rich and satisfying life.
Our next trek is Mediation Monday where we will help you reflect on what is most important in life. So encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along on Monday for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.
If you would like to listen to any of the past 877 daily treks or read the associated journals, they are all available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Apple Podcast or Google Play so that each day’s trek will be downloaded automatically.
Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.
As we take this trek together, let us always:
- Live Abundantly (Fully)
- Love Unconditionally
- Listen Intentionally
- Learn Continuously
- Lend to others Generously
- Lead with Integrity
- Leave a Living Legacy Each Day
I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you on Monday!