2. Twentieth Century A.D.

In the beginning of the 20th Century, the advance of human technology reached an unexpected level and changed the world of transportation and communication. In a matter of hours, one can travel from Sao Paulo to Tokyo and experience an extremely comfortable, state-of-the art flight. In a matter of seconds, financial transactions are carried out from one country to another through international wire transfers. This may cause panic and economic chaos. The technological complex and digital satellite systems also allow images to be sent from one side of the world to the other at the precise moment when the events are in progress. However, the predominant images are of human tragedy and catastrophic events, such as earthquakes, tornados, airplane explosions, and nuclear submarine wrecks.

Geologists with their sophisticated equipment today, warn: At any moment, the Earth may experience earthquakes of great impact, and there is no way any human being can predict their occurrence.

Despite all the technological and scientific development, Planet Earth continues to suffer the impact of soil and forest destruction. Likewise, it is being overwhelmed by all the different types of pollution. Global warming is occurring. There have been solar explosions, climatic changes, and an exceedingly large increase in global population. The terrestrial habitat is in the process of deterioration. There are over 6 billion people in the world, most of whom live precariously in the underdeveloped countries of the world. These countries have been completely shut off from technological progress and market economy, both of which demand a certain income level in order for a nation to be integrated into the global system. Likewise, they do not have any means for survival because their subsistence economies have already been destroyed. People from the countryside continue on the move to the bigger cities without any expertise whatsoever. The urban cities have lost the pleasant characteristics which make them peaceful places for human habitation. The infrastructure does not cope with the outburst of population increase that takes over the land and creates miserable zones where there is no sewerage system, no schools, and not even any recreational areas. There is a lot that has to be done, but many people remain jobless since there are no work opportunities, nor alternatives to take advantage of this manpower in urban improvement. Violence has spread throughout the larger cities. There is no order and no law.

The modern state, with its disorganized public institutions, is not able to ensure stability and normalcy in urban life. The newer generations are lost without a road to tread and are in no condition whatsoever to take hold of their own future. Chaos awaits us. Drugs have gained space and have fostered a violent generation with no ability to build a long-lasting, harmonious existence. Life has become tough and hard. People have lost their motivation and simply watch the world go by.

At the end of the millennium, there is a new trend underway. It is economic and financial globalization, which has been empowered by the mechanism for accumulating productive resources and concentrating financial capital. Those who control these resources are ready to take advantage of the best opportunities for profit in the world. The new globalization has disseminated the American culture and customs throughout the world although, what are adopted in the underdeveloped countries are the bad habits and the worst influence that there may be. This happens because they are more attractive to the people without any further dreams or expectations. In the Christian Era, the world has lived a religious globalization until very recently. Now, everything has speeded up. There is no more room for dogmas, but humanity has shut up to the world and does not want to take part in the spiritual world any longer. At present, human beings prefer to practice the religion of money.

The new globalization has shown a new profile of all nations, of society, of religion, of enterprises, even of the family itself. Everything features new ways and directions that have been motivated by immediate gratification and the absence of higher goals. This is made evident in the increase in decadence and general degeneration, which can be expressed by the saying: “Save your soul!” surrounded by the constant increase in urban violence. However, one cannot blame the situation solely on the media although writers and producers are the ones who, upon inspiration, grasp what is being formed in the world of fine matter regarding human evil, desires and, then, duplicate these dreadful images. On the other hand, the exponential multiplication of worse elements in the nature of the human being speeds up the break out of evil happenings in the material world. As such, people on Earth are approaching the Hell that they, themselves created and nurtured.

Globalization is also present on this treadmill of immediacy with respect to one’s goals and objectives. These are inclined toward the broadening and consolidation of power and ruling. For, there is no mutual trust among peoples and individuals since each one is more concerned about the enlargement of his own domain in face of the weakening of the command scope of the other. Thus, there is no truce for this battle, and there is no time or energy left to be invested as a continuous effort for an overall improvement.

Therefore, nations, society, families, and religions have become debris along with environmental destruction because their foundation was weak and distant from the Laws of Creation, the acknowledgment and respect of which foster peace excellence and harmony.

Over five billion years ago, titanic forces cooperated in the formation of the Planet so that human beings would have everything they needed for their earthly lives. To number all of this would be almost impossible for one would have to cover all of the fields of the Physical, Astronomical, and Biological Sciences and encompass areas that go way beyond the scope of current human knowledge.

Finally, the wonderful planet that had everything humanity needed was not created in six days according to the Bible, which is full of interpretations induced by human errors.

In order for the work of art to have been perfect, human beings should have evolved and given the touch of their pure spirits, which faced the Light, so that the earthly world conceived by human volition would walk together step by step surrounded by perfection and harmony.

However, the creatures on Earth fell into spiritual indolence and gave way to more base desires. Greed in general, and, more specifically, greed for power, had brought great disillusionment to this part of the world. This has been reflected in every sense and standard of living, from the most miserable of those who face extreme poverty, to the most brutal violence. Humankind lives in a world where deceit has taken over the relationship between people and nations. There is no more concern for one another. All is resolved according to the logical rationale of power and money. So, there is really nothing to feel strange about since, in the midst of all this suspicion, all that is evil is what prevails, and the human soul lives in a constant state of unrest.

The 20th Century has been notably marked by those human beings who have put aside their sense of responsibility by having arbitrarily interfered with all of the defense mechanisms which were intended to facilitate survival upon this planet. It seems that human beings will only regain their reasoning when the Earth reaches a state of total destruction, which is not very far away. The only thing one has to do is to think, for a moment, of the global warming issue and its catastrophic consequences such as: Drought, floods, serial storms, plagues that have been arising due to the uncontrollable proliferation of insects, and so on. It seems as if it will be necessary for the sand castle to fall down so that humankind may become aware of their folly.

While going astray in their way of life, human beings have built enormous dams where they have kept hate and disgust, which are about to leak. Breaking away from the Laws of Creation has brought misery and unhappiness to a world where only peace and harmony should prevail.

Urban violence has increased in the poor countries where high population index, precarious means of survival, and lack of knowledge have created a favorable scenario for pitiful episodes of the most outrageous atrocities ever committed due to the prevalent lack of harmony.

Since ancient times, human beings were used to outdoor celebrations and solemn festivities inside the temples, which had been specially built for services of devotion and thanksgiving. These rituals were filled with sound, color, and dance. They conveyed human thankfulness and joy to the Almighty Creator for the gift of life.

Later on, as the intellect began to interfere with the evolution of humanity, these ceremonies began to lose their original purity. Some of them turned into actual orgies and sexual rites where men and women under the influence of drugs and alcoholic beverages venerated idols. Decadence had nurtured the premonition of an inner emptiness that found its escape valve through entertainment.

Many centuries went by until humanity reached the stage in which it is in today. The search for entertainment in this day and age is what triggered the birth of the theater, movies, and, most recently, of the TV. The many televised programs are freely accessible within homes where both male and female children and adults are avid consumers. People in the past always looked for entertainment that would give way to their imagination, dreams, and fantasies. They rejoiced with nobility, justice, and beauty. Nowadays, there is a kind of frustration due to the tendency of films becoming more and more violent and gloomy, and, therefore, suggesting negativism.

One could then ask what the purpose of films and TV is after all. The most important goal is the profit of the investors from the commercial standpoint, and this is what prevails in our contemporary world. This leads to the rational assumption that money is what is in the limelight. However, what is profit today may become a great cost tomorrow. The hypnotic conduciveness of previously structured scenes of both televised and movie films are able to penetrate the heart of human consciousness in a somewhat subliminal fashion and interfere, in a negative or positive way, with the humor of the people.
This is the greatest threat to society. Society has never been so emotionally sick as it is now, to the point of avidly grasping the worst of what there is to be offered.

Since the present lifestyles are becoming more and more complex each and every day, people need to be (very patient) calm and serene because the uproar of events has caused great impact, and human radiation has become very heavy. Therefore, one must never be careless for that is when these external conditions put the pressure upon the soul and engender harmful, negative fluids. So, a lot of effort is needed to maintain harmony within our abode because darkness sows misunderstanding as a means of weakening those who are fighting to achieve the Light of the Truth, dragging them to the dungeons of greed, hate, and violence that are being spread throughout the world in order to cause chaos and destruction.

But, how has humanity reached such a stage of desolation?

It is a long story that very few up to now have been willing to sincerely and seriously study. This is the story of the human spiritual journey since the primeval times, when the first human beings came into existence, until the age of maturity and harvest.

Religion should devote itself to the knowledge of the Laws of Creation, which express the Will of God. The word Will needs to be understood in a much broader sense because, since the Will of God is perfect, the Laws that govern the development of the worlds and their preservation are strictly logical and unchangeable.

The study of “real” history – not the fake one that has been reinvented and made up in order to please private interests – will someday bring shame to humankind due to the trickery that was developed by humanity. When it is a question of fighting for power, human beings will trample upon everything that is in their paths. They do not hesitate to heavily tread over the gifts that were given to them, mainly those regarding the teachings that should lead them to the acknowledgment of the paths that they should tread. Thus, they divert the course of billions of human beings from the simple and righteous path that leads to the Laws of Creation.

Obedience to God has never been fully understood, neither in the times of Jesus, nor afterwards. Humanity did not make any great effort to understand the significance of the Message brought by Jesus. To obey God is to respect His Will, which is written in the Laws of Creation: “Thy Will be done…” In this Message rests the evolution and salvation of the soul. It does not dwell within an existence submitted to rules created by the human intellect, but through spiritual maturity obtained through one’s own life experience in the search for acknowledgment of the Will of God, that is, of the Laws of Creation… experience which one should live individually, without the assistance of anyone else.

According to what Abdruschin wrote in the Message of the Grail lecture “The Recognition of God”, vol. 3:

“It is only through the Laws of Creation themselves, which God has given, that the human spirit can come to the recognition of God. And this recognition is absolutely necessary for its ascent. Only through this does it receive that support which permits it to journey steadfastly along the path prescribed and useful for it towards perfection! Not otherwise!”