End of the World

12/18/12       Christian          17

Is the end of the world at hand?  I believe it’s never been closer.  But that’s about all I know, because Jesus Himself said “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”  Therefore anyone who claims to know the details about the date and time of the world’s demise would just be a false teacher.  However, there is something to be said for paying attention to the signs of the times. God’s purpose is that we should “keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour”  Does the end of the Mayan calendar – Friday, Dec.21, 2012- fit into that category?  It means a lot for some people.  I started a gospel conversation on the sidewalk with a young man named Christian.  He was listening quietly - too quietly, I thought, which I usually interpret to mean that the listener isn’t really engaged enough to develop opinions or questions on their own.  I started to summarize some of my major points and bid farewell when he suddenly spoke up, asking me about 2012 and if I thought he was ready.  He was truly concerned about the possibility that the world will end as some interpret the ancient Mayan calendar to predict.  He went on to ask more about how he could know he will go to heaven.  Even though it was from a non-biblical source, the clues and warnings of the possibility of the world’s end had done its job – Christian had a concern about his eternal fate as a result.   So should we use clues and warnings about the end of the world as part of our gospel message?  I don’t necessarily think so.  There is something much more dire than the end of the world as we know it.  Christian agreed that the end of his world – his life – could be at hand this very day.  He’s had friends who have died due to street violence.  He knows that tomorrow isn’t promised.  End of the world prophesies can become a cheap substitute for that much more important truth.