What will be the end of human kind?

Are we approaching a bigger spiritual and social harmony, are we headed for moral and structural decay of our society or has human kind always known an equal amount of both evolution and destruction? Or could it be a bit of everything?

The idea that we're nearing a new era of spiritual harmony has of course a strong presence within those spiritualities that are grouped under the label 'New Age'. It is in fact the origin of that term, since the name 'New Age' refers to the conviction that we're at the dawn of a new era (the so called 'Aquarius era') in which humanity will start living on a higher level of spiritual consciousness.

Such a vision can also be found in Christianity. According to Christians God is both the Alfa and the Omega of existence, both the beginning and the end, which means creation will inevitably reach a point where God 's love and truth will once again truly pervade it.

Opposing this is the thought that the moral decay of society will eventually destroy humanity. This vision is strongly expressed within Hinduism. Hindus speak of the 'Kali Yuga', the last of the four era's humanity will go through. In the first era, the Sat Yuga, truth and justice are upheld spontaneously. Because of human egoism however, slowly injustice creeps into society, which in this second era, the Treta Yuga, brings a need for external forces (i.e. spiritual teachers and political leaders) who can keep society under control. When their presence doesn't suffice any more, we come to the third era, the Dwapara Yuga. In it the only rescue exists in writing down texts and laws that clearly mark out the moral rules of existence which allow everybody ito fall back on a solid guideline. In the last era, the Kali Yuga, people even stop listening to holy texts. People live blinded by the illusions of their ego, hate thrives, weapons clash and humanity cuts itself to pieces. According to most Hindus we live in such a Kali Yuga. (Admittedly, one doesn't have to search too far to see proof thereof).

But again Christianity also knows a similar concept. It's called 'the apocalypse'. The apocalypse isn't so much 'the end of the world' but more of an image for the time when moral decay will become so huge that Christ's light will come back to the world to separate the souls: those that held truth and justice high will be saved, those that defied morality will be confronted with suffering. They will devour themselves and won't be taken into God.

Thus it becomes clear how there not only isn't any concurrence between the various spiritual traditions about this subject, but how also within religions there's no truly unambiguous idea about the future of humanity. Mostly different visions are combined. The believe in a Kali Yuga might for example seem like some sort of defeatist obliteration idea, but in fact it isn't. For after the destruction of the Kali Yuga a new phase of four era's starts. The four era's repeat again and again since they themselves are also a part of the bigger universal waves of existence. (A spiritual concept I discussed already in my article about zero-economy)

The fact that Christianity and Hinduism (and other religions) combine different visions on and images of the future of course doesn't show a conceptual inconsistency or philosophical easy way out, but shows the necessary nuance of a complex given.

Myself, I would describe it as follows:

God has always wanted harmony. Spiritually speaking, it is after all the 'purpose' of creation. Harmony is and always will be both the start and the aim.

From this follows that the balance and the harmony will always be restored – not because of some epic idea about how 'good' will conquer 'evil, but because of the evident consequence of the fact that God wants harmony and therefore always leads His creation in that direction.

Yet we should only realise that harmony of creation does not necessarily entail harmony of human kind. The omega of Gods creationary balance, can perfectly well exist without any humanity.

Is it therefore possible that we are headed towards some sort of 'Kali apocalypse', despite God's benevolence? Of course. If we keep on exploiting and exhausting the world the way we do right now, then we will inevitably dig our own grave. And if we do not learn to bring up some more respect for all civilisations and cultures, our humanity will only rip itself further to pieces. It doesn't need a lot of explanation.

And is it possible we can avert such an apocalypse by portraying a bigger spiritual consciousness? This isn't unthinkable either. When we succeed to transform like Ninevites, we can perhaps change the tide. If we can find value again in nature, unity in humanity and morality in existence, then perhaps we can still reach a certain harmony.

Both options exist simply because that one eternal choice exists: the choice to live in accordance with the divine principles or to ignore them.

God wishes to express his creation in all possible beauty, but we as a humanity can choose to express this beauty as well or we can choose to pollute creation both literally and figuratively.

Disappear we will. The only question is in what way we will do so. In accordance with the peace and balance of Gods beauty or choked by the pain of the destruction we brought upon ourselves.

As such I inevitably arrive at a last thought which in fact swipes all previous arguments of the table with one spiritual hand. The question actually isn't whether in ten, a hundred or a thousand years humanity will still be the same, will have destroyed itself or attained a spiritual omega. The only real question is whether at this very moment we try to express Gods beauty, both within ourselves and within our surroundings. Like Christ said to a couple of spiritual hair-splitters: “You're on the wrong track. He is God not of the dead, but of the living.” He is God not of the future, but of the present.