With all the media hype circling around the end of the world this weekend, I can't think of any scripture that says Jesus' return and the end of the world are causes for rejoicing. Certainly there is rejoicing for those who suffered in martyrdom, death or oppression and find relief in the coming Kingdom of God, but Jesus doesn't give us any real reason to look forward to the end of time. Sure, everyone gets to go to heaven, but I get that anyway after I die. No, Jesus doesn't tell his brothers and sisters to pray for the end, he tells them to pray that they might be saved through the horrible time that is coming.
That's what confuses me about believers who seem to want the world to end. They are spinning the Bible in a different way than Jesus, Paul or the Gospel writers ever imagined. The Bible speaks of the apocalypse in terms of blood, violence, despair: all the things that make up a good Showtime television season. It's almost like these end-time believers want the end of time because they get to watch all those scoffers suffer from the clouds.
Hmmmm, instead of watching a violent, bloody, gory show from the comfort of my couch, I could be a believer and watch it from a cloudy throne. Now there's a reality show for you.
I think the prayer of the day should be for those who will be disappointed on Sunday. I wonder if they will go to church the morning after the Messiah doesn't come. After all, the Apostle Paul said that Jesus would return. in his life time. Apparently, believers kept going back to church even though, Jesus didn't come the way they expected. Maybe Paul's church wasn't disappointed because they knew there was something more important than the end of time.
Let us Pray
O God, you say you will come as a thief in the night. We do not know when you will approach or how you will enter our lives. We always expect you, yet your Spirit appears in the most simple and mundane things. Help us to not get excited by a newsflash or rumours flashing across the internet. Help us open the doors that allow your Spirit to come into the lives of people who truly need you. Make us aware of those who are in despair or know grief and sadness too intimately. Use our hands and our words to enter into this world again and again and again every day. Amen.
Very good word. You are correct that there are those who will be very disappointed on Sunday morning. I wonder if perhaps they might tweak their world view and see that the Kingdom of God is here right now, all around us and that Jesus is here as well. You may be right about what the goal of some folks might be. We should do our best to live out the Kingdom every day!
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