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Restoration... The Coming "Utopia"

by Darris McNeely

Regular readers of this column will think its headline points to the biblical utopia of the Kingdom of God. Not so. Others speak of a different, man-made utopia. This attempt at utopia is slowly forming in Europe with its fledgling steps toward the status of superpower.

Last month Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair delivered a speech that clearly spelled out his vision of his nation's future course. Speaking before a prestigious audience at the annual Lord Mayor of London's dinner, Blair spoke of the "international community" effectively working together to address the problems so dramatically highlighted by the Sept. 11 attack. "Some say it's utopian; others that it is dangerous to think that we can resolve all these problems by ourselves. But.self-interest for a nation and the interests of the broader community are no longer in conflict" (Telegraph Group, speech by Tony Blair at the Lord Mayor's Banquet, Nov. 12, 2001).

The "broader community" to which he speaks is the European Community that, he went on to say, should take an even larger role in solving the immediate problems in the Middle East and Central Asia. In answer to those who say that Britain can't tilt toward Europe and maintain its historic "special relationship" with America, he added, "I hope we have buried the myth that Britain has to choose between being strong in Europe or strong with the United States. Afghanistan has shown vividly how the relations reinforce each other; and that both the U.S. and our European partners value our role with the other. So let us play our full part in Europe, not retreat to its margins; and let us proclaim our closeness to the United States and use it to bring Europe closer to America. The solidarity of our European partners in this present crisis has been total. It will remain so; and that is a real cause for hope" (ibid).

The prime minister has made no secret of his strong desire to see Britain adopt the new euro currency taking full effect on Jan. 1, 2002. Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, among others, has maintained Britain must keep itself independent and autonomous in its relationship with the EU if it is to maintain its historic role as a buffer between the ideas of Europe and those shared by America and Britain. She is quoted as once saying, ".part of England's purpose, part of its historic mission, had been to stop the bad ideas of Europe from jumping quickly and completely across the Atlantic.like a great sneeze and [making] America and the rest of the West sick" ("There Will Always Be an England?", Wall Street Journal, June 8, 2001).

This growing continental alliance is destined to become part of a stronger economic and political power than people currently imagine. The Bible foretells a system in the end time that promises peace and freedom (call it "utopia"), yet it will turn into a monstrous system that will crush any who oppose its plans (Revelation 18).

In this issue we offer several articles that help focus our attention on the changing world order. January will see the conversion to the euro currency in the European Community, an unprecedented step in modern times. Efforts to clone human life present new questions and issues never before imagined. Many have said that we live in a different world since Sept. 11. Much seems to remain the same, but there is no doubt we need to remain alert to the large trends that will shape the future.

A Christian's hope is not in a humanly devised utopia, but in the real hope of the age to come, when all things are restored in the Kingdom of God. WNP