All good to all nations

Where do we go to find "the good life"? Some countries may seem to have it all, while others have too little.

A Brazilian song includes this refrain: "I live in a tropical country which is blessed of God and naturally beautiful." When this song was popular, our generation felt that it was a great privilege to live in a tropical country like our own. Beautiful weather, the riches of nature, a friendly people—all these were thought to be great advantages.

Later on, however, as greater freedom of the press developed and there was a larger awareness of our country's problems, a trend to the contrary began. Tropical countries in general became synonymous with underdevelopment, poverty, misgovernment, and endemic illnesses. And, after all, it did seem that many countries shared this same lot.

For me and for many others, this predicament raised an important question. Is it possible that good itself comes from God in a divided way to humanity—one hemisphere favored over another, one region or district more favored than another; more good up there, less good down here (or vice versa)?

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July 22, 1991
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