There is a saying: “Those who do not know history, are doomed to repeat it.” For those who do not see the reason behind the cyclical repetition of mankind’s spotted history, not only is the 21st century setting itself up to showcase the very worst in mankind, but it will set a new waterline for the great depths that the soul of humanity is able to descend to.

According to philosopher John Gray, “The 21st century is shaping up to be as bloody as the one that preceded it.” The reason why history as man would want to keep writing it, keeps repeating itself again and again, is that man chooses to turn both “a blind eye” and “a stony heart” to the fact that all of mankind has a God in heaven that is not only able to “forgive their sins” but to also “heal their lands” (see 2 Chronicles 7:14). Which is a God who can not only forgive the endless cycle of “destructive behaviours”, but who is also able to heal the very “nature” behind the aptitude that perpetuates and inspires humanity’s persuasion towards destructive repetition.

According to Gray, who posted an article in The Times on 22 April entitled, "“Humans never learn”: the philosopher John Gray on New Atheism, the God Debate and why history repeats itself', who of himself falls into one of the seven categories of atheism that says we don’t need God, “History, is cyclical. There is no upward trend, we are stuck on the treadmill of our own inadequacies. The best that politicians can do is find “partial remedies to recurring human evils” and thereby sustain periods of improvement for a little longer.”

When the fallen nature of man “sins”, a wound is inflicted. Each and every time. Both internally, once on the inner soul of that same man, as well as externally, on the brotherhood of humanity. And with each sin, the two-way wound it inflicts helps to widen both his own personal bondage to a cycle of repetitive behaviour, as well as mankind’s bondage unto the “repetitive cycles” that history shows. With each wound that man inflicts, so too does it also deepen mankind’s inadequacy to dig himself out of its own hole. Without both God’s forgiveness AND healing, which are the twin blessings that are unlocked through the beautiful gate of repentance, the individual’s heart and soul becomes increasingly more broken and incapable of producing anything more than the new standard of the tragic it has set for itself, preempting its own deepening inadequacy to rise above the pattern of its long history. At the same time, for the neighbour injured by that same sin, both the wounds inflicted as well as the neighbour’s own lack of forgiveness in turn, positions them to repeat the identical destructive behaviours in an ever widening circle that soon consumes more and more of the land, as far as the east is from the west. And thus, so perpetuate a cycle of humanity at its spectacular worst, instead of one at its absolute best, along with all its tragedy and sinister cynicism.

Yet for some, God is the one who, as far as the east is from the west, has removed our transgressions from us (Psalm 112:13), and so put an end to the cycle of their destructive behaviour. And that is available to all. But man remains hellbent on writing a different history, for the greatest history book of all also says, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions” (Jude 1:18). And history, as these would then write it, will once again show itself to repeat itself, for it is also said that, “Those who do not know history, are doomed to repeat it.” Which in itself becomes the self-fulfilling prophesy of the never-ending treadmill of the inadequacy of man to dig itself out of the deep pit of its own wounding and sin.

For those who do have eyes to see and a heart to hear, so great is God’s heart and love that not only is He able to forgive the outward sign of that inadequacy, being the destructive behaviour, but to also heal the wound that causes it in the first place (the land, being man’s heart, his nature). And in so doing, God is able to re-write history, both for the individual and for mankind universally. For the real story behind the history of mankind’s folly, just as for the generations of those of the great exodus who never made it to the promised land because of their cycle of repetitive destructive behaviour, is the history of God’s relentless pursuit of man, and His unimaginable patience and love for man.

...And it isn’t over.

And while it isn't over, the Word of God is clear: Seek God while He may still be found.
"Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." (Isaiah 55:6-7).

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be all the honour and all the glory for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17).