The End of the World As We Know It

I was driving home from La Crosse this afternoon and listening to the radio as I rode along. The news of the day appeared to be a prediction that the Rapture will take place tomorrow and the world “as we know it” will come to an end.

When I got home I opened up my Facebook page to see what was happening in my very limited social network and I found my page spattered with more satirical comments about this same end-of-the-world event.

Now, let me state right up front that I don’t believe the Rapture will take place tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. It wouldn’t bother me if it did, but I don’t honestly think that this is going to be that moment.

What bothered me were all of the comments being made by people who had no idea what they were talking about and how quickly and easily they seem to transfer these “rapture” people into the world of the mentally deranged. Let me say again, I don’t believe that tomorrow you will have to worry about people being swept away into heaven but you will have to live in a world where there are people who believe in things that you might think are crazy. These people (just like the rest of us) deserve a bit of sympathy and a little bit of understanding.

The other thing that was running through my head was the larger context of my travels to and from La Crosse. This past week my father-in-law (one of those people whom we should all aspire to be like) struggled and died in a hospital bed surrounded by his family. The rest of this week has been tied up in preparing for and participating in a celebration of his life. As I was on the road today it came to me, that tomorrow may not be the end of this world for everyone but it will surely be the end of this world for someone and maybe instead of spending our time making fun of people who are apparently prepared to leave this world maybe we should think about making those same kinds of preparations in our own lives.

Like I said, I don’t expect to be swept up into the clouds to meet Jesus tomorrow, but I am ready to meet Jesus tomorrow and there is a significant part of me that is looking forward to that event whenever or however it happens. Maybe tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. we should pause and say a little prayer for that person whose life in this world is ending at 6:00 p.m. tomorrow. It wouldn't hurt.