Human Destiny

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 160, 1 April 1939, Page 1 (Supplement)

Human Destiny

"We are not isolated souls: neither is humanity wholly apart from the rest of creation. Physically we belong to the greenish mould. Spiritually we seem to be elements in a vast realm of souls, struggling together for light.

"Shall we ever be able to see our destiny clearly? The darkness would begin to disappear if we could find in the evolution of the universe power linked with goodness, for then we should have a clear revelation of God. "We have searched, yon may say, and we have not found. This pessimistic conclusion may be partly true. But I am sure that, if man is not to destroy himself, he must go on searching. He must ever be asking questions. “We could even now create an earthly paradise if we rightly used our re-cently-won knowledge. If men would abandon the greed, jealousy, suspicion and fear that lead to oppression, armaments and war; if they would unite to attack disease and dirt, folly and vice, we could with our present knowledge eradicate drudgery and poverty and till the world with beauty.

“The present state of humanity is tragic; so magnificent are the possibilities open to us, so grave the dangers that arise from wrong principles and aims. The sad fact is that such knowledge as we Europeans have won has left us spiritually blind. We need ’light, more light.’ I firmly believe that spiritual light will come as we learn more truly the nature of the universe to which we belong.”—Dr. Barnes, Bishop of Birmingham.