Monday, May 23, 2011
You Still Here? Me Too!
It became the talk of the town… the city… and the nation. Roughly a week before the predicted May 21st doomsday, people were abuzz over the issue of the end of the world. Of course, the prediction of “6:00 wherever you are” did not pan out.
But it was fascinating to hear the conversations taking place in light of the potential “end of the world.” I was most troubled by some of the comments from the media especially talk show hosts and people calling into them. 
As the days began to count down, it became clear that we live in a world that is very populated with “non-committed universalists.” I actually don’t know if that is a coined category, but that describes the folks I heard. A “non-committed universalist” is someone who believes there is a God but has no relational knowledge of that God while at the same time believes that basically everyone is going to heaven. Sort of like acknowledging that Texas has a DMV and therefore most folks who go down there will get their Driver’s License. Some even mentioned trying to survive the day, as if it were like riding out a hurricane.
Could this be true? Over and over again I heard people comment that sometime Saturday, if the world ended, we would all be going to heaven. Now I know some folks were just fooling around and others were being sarcastic, but never, and I mean never, did I hear one word about the God who might make all this happen. Never was the word Jesus mentioned. Never was the word faith mentioned. Never was there any hint of repentance or mercy or grace or salvation mentioned.
We live in a world where many think “you do your thing and I will do mine” and “all roads lead to God.” No, I’m not talking about the difference between various churches. I am talking about a deep cultural shift in thinking. Many people in our culture see no real need for Jesus. They have decided, on their own of course, that their own style of relating to God will be enough and if God is good, they will get into heaven. Sadly, Harold Camping, the supposed prognosticator of all this, has done Christianity no favors. Now many in the world simply continue to write off Christianity and the Church as stupid and irrelevant. Such erroneous predictions continue to turn Jesus Christ into nothing more than the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus. I am most sad for those who bought into Camping’s predictions. Many of his followers are left with… shattered faith, feelings of betrayal, and maybe even empty bank accounts.
The world will come to an end… (not exactly a revelation?) for everyone. Everyone you know, including you, will experience the end. It will be our own death or the death of our loved ones. I don’t know what everyone else will believe on that day, but I know that the Bible tells us that on that day it will be our faith in Jesus Christ that opens the way to heaven. You may or may not agree, and I am sure some people won’t. In fact, if you don’t like the idea of God on earth, it might be pretty miserable to have to see God all the time in heaven, so I am sure some may indeed choose hell. I don’t know who will be in our out, but I do know Christ loves everyone. God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not die but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. Living with faith daily means that no matter when the end comes, you will be ready. Until next time, Blessings!
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