I Didn’t Know

It could have been my last marital kiss, my final embrace, my last walk out the door – I didn’t know; I didn’t know until later as I was listening to the news that yesterday, December 21, 2012, was supposed to be the end of the world. Throughout the day I was engaged in the mundane things of work, a doctor’s appointment, and even planning my work for next week – I was even so pedestrian to be thinking about dinner. And yes, I’ll admit it, I did go to Wal-Mart yesterday to purchase stocking items for Christmas. All the while the world was supposed to be coming to an end. You’d think that at least NPR would have broadcast a warning during the morning news!

Last night I watched the news and saw things many people did to usher in the world’s end or the new age or whatever they thought the Mayan calendar indicated; I’m reminded that as strange as some of the actions were that they were no stranger than some (many?) Christians getting caught-up in this thing – I remember a year ago seeing a book in a Christian bookstore about the world coming to an end in 2012 – what was that all about? And I don’t think that many of the participants in Mayan end-of-the-world inspired activities can match the sustained fascination of many Christians in end-of-the-world scenarios – hopefully most of the Mayan-inspired folks will go back to their day jobs and not adopt the End Times as a fixation as many Christians have done. It’s one thing to don strange attire for a day or two and dance and beat drums, it’s another thing to adopt the End Times as a way of life.

Around 2,000 years ago a new age did begin, it dawned in Bethlehem and its light has been increasing ever since then. Yes, there are times darkness appears to be the weather of the day, but above and beyond the darkness is the Light of the world. Those in relationship with Jesus Christ can live in light in the midst of darkness. Hopefully we learn to desire Him more than speculation about the future. While we do indeed look for new heavens and a new earth, we look for them because then not only will this old world be delivered from its decay (Romans Chapter 8) but because we will see Jesus and the face of God.