[Ch] The world might end, but are we thinking about it the wrong way.

With all of these tornados hitting the midwest, earthquakes in Italy, I guarantee you that someone out there is going to be writing somewhere about the end of the world, rapture, and eternal damnation. And as Christians, it makes sense that this is something we should be talking about, and certainly something that we should be prepared for. Our salvation is important, and not everyone who thinks they have it really does (Matt. 7:21). But what I have recently come to the conclusion about is that for several people like me-- anxious people-- it will a lot less thinking about the end of the world and being aware of it or spiritually prepared for it, and much more WORRYING about it. That's where the problems lie.
     First, no one knows if these tornados and hurricanes and whatnot mean that the world will end next year. They very well might, this all might be building up to the horrors of Revelations. We also might have 1,000 more years on this planet: only God above knows the day or time, to my understanding anyway (Matt. 24:36). Christian eschatology is both a fascinating and terrifying subject, one I have done little delving into. But we are also told not to worry(Matt. 6:25.) Jesus illustrates beautifully just how counterproductive worrying is, and how little it can fix. Sure there is preparedness, and being aware of things. Again, being aware of our spiritual state, and our relationship with Christ is essential. But letting day to day things bother us so isn't. I believe that the reason we worry about the end of the world is for entirely selfish reasons. What is it doing to do to ME? What is it going to MY life? What won't I be able to do because the world will end first. We don't worry about others, we don't stress about the overall impact such a cataclysmic event will have, we just worry about ourselves.
     Perhaps you have concluded that I am just another fat happy gentleman who has never had a panic attack and sees anxiety as something one can simply get over. While its true that I don't understand everyone's situation specifically, I am anxious myself, so i can relate to how controlling anxiety can be. How much I want to stop worrying and can't, how the smallest, most irrational things can seem critical me, how I can't stop worrying until I have all the answers, a goal I can never achieve. So ignorance of the issues facing anxious people isn't my greatest fault: if anything, it would be hypocrisy. A man as anxious as I saying not to worry. But I am speakign to myself as much as everyone else.
     And yes, I admit it, the world may be ending. The bible does mention Earthquakes, and while I haven't found it myself, people often use weather as a sign of the end times as well. And yes Newton did say that he thought the world would end when we achieved speeds of over fifty miles per hour (Dan. 12:4) However, the number of dates set for the end of the world are endless, and all of them so far have been wrong. We don't know when, but all of us (even atheists) admit that someday it will. So will the world end? Yes. Will it end soon? No one knows: no one on Earth anyway. But there is one who does. Instead of worrying about when the world will end, perhaps it would be more beneficial for us to examine our relationship with the only individual who knows. Pray, stay strong, be faithful. Not all of us know Jesus. So while the world is still here, we should let that be our priority. we can do nothing about the world ending, but we can do something about where we will be standing when it does. KP

Christianity, Issue 64; KPO