At the decline of the eighteenth century, when the Industrial Period was dawning triumphant in England, a much-discussed book came to light, entitled An Essay on the Principle of Population, written by the brilliant economist, Thomas Robert Malthus. Besides analyzing the phenomenon of propagation and multiplication that occurs in the animal and vegetable kingdoms, Malthus expounds in this work a growing and restless disproportion between the means of subsistence and the population. Supporting this argument with figures, he said:
"If we take the whole earth, excluding emigration, it is supposed that the actual population is about one thousand million, the human race would grow by the proportions of 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, and the means of subsistence by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. At the end of two centuries the population would be in proportion to the means of subsistence, as 256 is to 9, and at the end of three centuries, as 4,096 is to 13, and after two thousand years, the difference would be immense and almost incalculable."—T. H. Malthus, cited in Djacir Menezes, Principios de Sociologia, p. 58.
Face to face with this sober reality—the rapid increase of the population without a corresponding increase in the means of subsistence—Malthus advises abstinence from marriage, freely accepted by the individual, and voluntary chastity, so as to restrict the rising tide of births.
The result of these wonderful triumphs of technology over disease has produced what has been called the "explosive increase.' of the world population, which has astonished even the most die-hard anti-Malthusians.
According to statistics of the technical agency of the United Nations Organization, within 40 years there will be 5 billion human beings. In the year 2050 (the Advent hope isn't figured in the calculation of these statistics) if there isn't a solution to this alarming progression, we will have 9 billion mouths on our agitated planet to feed.
In an article by Edwin Ellis, published in the New York World Telegram, we read: "The world must feed 47 million more mouths each year than the year before. This significant increase is equivalent to the population of France."
It is evident that these fantastic figures are an advance announcement of the sad unbalance about which Malthus talked. As a result, there will be hunger, insecurity, and social concern.
Impressed by the seriousness of this problem, Sir Julian Huxley, expresident of the UNESCO, and 133 other outstanding statisticians, sociologists, and educators, thought it prudent to warn the UNO of the dangers of this explosive demographical increase, hoping in the end to keep civilization from the menacing dangers of pauperism, misery, and malnutrition.
Albert Einstein, originator of the theory of relativity, referring to this important theme, pronounced this solemn sentence: "The fantastic population increase has produced a new situation, full of problems of proportion as yet unknown."
As a church that finds itself facing this disturbing reality, we must hurry all our activities in order to evangelize without delay this turbulent planet, whose population is increasing in geometrical progression. It is evident that we need a divine power to realize such a gigantic work.
At the end of His public ministry, Jesus commissioned His disciples to do evangelistic work. Those messengers had to proclaim the grace of Christ to the 230 million inhabitants who populated the face of the earth. Still, they manifested little disposition, failing courage, and weak comprehension of the Master and His work.
Evidently they lacked effective equipment to fulfill this difficult work of making disciples in all nations. They had neither colleges, hospitals, churches, nor organization to help them in the effort to win the world to Christ.
But the Sacred Scriptures say: "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting....... And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:1-4). It was the pouring out of the promised power that announced the radiant dawning of an epoch of triumphant evangelism.
The disciples took courage with the glorious experience of Pentecost, and became as burning torches that lighted the multitudes with the flames of Christianity.
Today, as in apostolic days, the church is facing a responsibility that spreads into the narrow limits of human responsibility. In effect, proclaiming the transforming gospel of Christ "to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people" in an agitated world, where the explosive increase of population constitutes an uneasy reality, is a work for extraordinary men.
As a church, we have a message of hope for a desperate world. As an organization we elaborate excellent plans and effective methods of work. Our budgets reveal the existence of financial resources. With all, the necessity of the power of the Holy Spirit is unquestionable, because with its help we will extend the triumphs of the cross in rapid and vibrant advancements!
