The High Way

Nov. 15th, 2009
Mark 13: 24-32

24 ‘But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
26Then they will see “the Son of Man coming in clouds” with great power and glory. 27Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
28 ‘From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. 31Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
32 ‘But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

I have my own pet theory about the end times, a theory that has little basis in anything, really. I just think it would be amusing if my theory were true. In my lifetime, there have been several predictions that the end of the world was about to take place. “The Late Great Planet Earth” by Hal Lindsey, written in the 70’s, predicted that human history would end in the 1980’s. This book was even on secular best-seller lists. New Age adherents have had several instances in the past two or three decades where large groups of people gathered at certain places in the world to watch the end of the world take place. Obviously, nothing came of these predictions.

My theory is that even if someone gets it right and accurately predicts the date on which the world is to end, God will change the date.

One of my favorite scripture passages is Isaiah 48: 6-7.
Now I am revealing new things to you, things hidden and unknown to you, created just now, this very moment, of these things you have heard nothing until now, so that you cannot say, ‘Oh yes, I knew all this.’

In other words, God does not want us getting all caught up in esoteric knowledge where, instead of spending our time building hope and faith as we walk with him in the moment, our whole attention is focused on political, social and natural events and disasters. Even though he calls us to be concerned for and compassionate towards the world around us, he doesn’t call us to become cynical and despairing. And isn’t the very act of predicting the end of the world based on events that are happening an act of despair? “Things are so bad that Christ must be getting ready to come again to wipe the slate clean.”

One could think Jesus was advocating that all of the disciples pay attention to signs of the end times and expect them soon when he said, “…this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.” Some theologians feel that he was either referring to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 or that ‘this generation’ refers to the spiritual generation of all Christianity or that Jesus means that once the end times begin, everything will happen very quickly – within a generation. Whatever he meant, he also said that no one, not even he, knew when these things would take place. No one, Christian or otherwise, has insider knowledge of the future. However, a key sentence in this week’s Gospel is: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” Jesus’ words are full of life and hope that endure no matter what cataclysmic events are taking place either in the world or in our personal lives. While we have to deal with tragedy and endeavor to mitigate our own destructive actions or those of people around us or those of society in general, we are still called above all to hope in Jesus, who is The Word of Hope.

Jeremiah 29: 11-14 says, “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord,”

It is easy and it is entirely human to focus on the negative and the destructive. This is true whether we are looking at the state of the environmental, social and political world, or whether we are focusing on our personal lives. It is easier to pinpoint all that is wrong than to have faith in the Lord of All that is Right. It is much easier to look for doom and destruction than it is to have faith in the One who builds and creates. In the short term it’s often more emotionally satisfying to criticize the world and the people who run it or ruin it. It feels like we’re more in control if we can spot everything that is wrong. I am not saying we shouldn’t do all we can for the environment or work to build a just society. I am not advocating going into denial in relation to things that need change in the world or our own lives. All I’m saying is that as Christians we are called to first grasp hope and faith in the God of all power before we are called to grapple with the problems of a humanity so full of weakness and need. Was there some other reason Jesus came and died on the cross? I don’t think so.

In the first reading from Daniel this week, it says, “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” It is wisdom to seek to understand what God meant when he said, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts and my ways not your ways. Yes, the heavens are as high above the earth as my ways are above your ways, my thoughts above your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55: 8,9) Wisdom tells us that the human inclination is to see disaster and doom and to pick up on everything that is wrong and bad in the world and in our own lives and the lives of those around us, but God does not see things as we do. God’s vision is not limited or short sighted like ours. When we think all is lost, wisdom says God knows what is on the verge of being found. When we think everything is going to hell in a hand basket, wisdom says that Jesus went to hell and brought it all back in a treasure chest. When we think society has lost all sense of morality and justice, wisdom says that God’s Truth and Justice was nailed to a cross and won the victory for all eternity.

You’ve heard the old adage, “Don’t believe everything you read.” What I say is, “Don’t believe everything you think.”

St. Paul said: “For I am certain of this: neither death nor life, no angel, no prince, nothing that exists, nothing still to come, not any power, or height or depth, nor any created thing, can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8: 38 and 39)

Amen and amen.