CHRIST JESUS said to his disciples shortly before he left them for higher realms of thought than they were ready to attain (John 14:1, 2): "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. ... I go to prepare a place for you." These words must have comforted those first Christians in the years that followed when they could no longer depend upon the Master's personal presence for power and direction but were forced to prove their individual dependence upon God.
Jesus' words are equally reassuring today when automation threatens widespread unemployment and many people must work out their individual unity with God in order to survive. The threat of unemployment because of automation is not new. It confronted the workers during the industrial revolution, particularly during the last century, when new mechanical inventions were coming into use. But it is obvious that the present prosperity of people in Europe and North America and in some other countries is the result of new types of work created by this very revolution, even though many old types of work have been abandoned.
Although modern inventions continue to perpetuate the threat of increased unemployment and even to deprive many people of work, retraining on a large scale for new types of work is increasing, and this is a good development. Whether or not unemployment in devastating degree will hit society is causing grave concern.
