Sometimes when we look around at the world, we can get depressed at the state of our times. But in fact, this is one of the best, if not the best, times to have ever been born.

Some people hark back to the idea of a lost golden age when human beings may have been poor and life shorter but were spiritually richer. Now they say we are materially better but spiritually impoverished.

But do we really believe that it is preferable – and somehow spiritually enriching – to be poor, hungry, starving, ignorant, disease ridden and dying young? Surely not.