The End is Near?

Heard a speaker that was predicting the end times.  He emphatically listed all the signs that the apocalypse is near: wars, violence, political decisions, rise in dangerous groups, lack of religious beliefs, and so on.

My reaction to these predictors and predictions is – so what?  If you believe the world is ending and you’re a Christian, then you will be fine and the nonbelievers will perish.  So if you truly believe these principles why worry about tomorrow?   Matthew 6:34 (NIV) Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

But more than anything, fear sells.  This person has sold over 20 books on the world ending.  Politicians say the current party or the party wanting the office will ruin our lives and they do their best to embed fear.  Our 24/7 news cycle gives us immediate access to dangers, toils, and snares.  If someone is selling fear, try to understand their motivation.  Is it for your good or their good?

When I was a kid I was handed a religious tract which basically said I was going to Hell if I didn’t repent.  I wasn’t sure what that meant and it gave me nightmares about a God who was going to send me to eternal fires and damnation.  Do we really want to promote a tract-theology God?  I’ve come to believe in the Lamb of God and the God that shows me patience and grace and forgiveness.

Are there things to fear in the world?  Absolutely.  But every generation has had their signs of the end. Don’t buy into the distress.  Don’t live into the rhetoric of dread.  Find hope and love, ways to connect and understand others.

Whether the end is in sight or far away, is it better to live in crippling fear or in expectation?

One thought on “The End is Near?

  1. This should be the first story in your book. Perfect timing with the attack on Paris and the fear that it generates.

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