Thursday, December 6, 2012

Be Careful What You Ask For

   Throughout the world many people are panicking as the date “December 21” approaches.  According to various “experts” the Mayan calendar predicted that a major cataclysm will take place on December 21, 2012 because it is on that date that the calendar enters a new cycle.
    For the past two thousand years Christians all over the world have been asking Our Lord Jesus to return. He promised us that He would return prior to His ascension into heaven and now that there is a possibility that He might actually be fulfilling His promise, how do we respond?  Are we happy that Our Lord Jesus will finally return and we might actually be able to meet Him face to face?  No, we panic and go to the store to buy candles, food, water, and other supplies.  Why?  Did we not believe that Jesus would fulfill His promise?  Do we believe that Jesus will be angry with us and we must hide from our angry “parent” so we do not get punished? 
    Christian monks and nuns all over the world have been praying “Maranatha” (Come, Lord Jesus); however, instead of looking forward to the possible fulfillment of this prayer, people are telling everyone that they meet that “the sky is falling” and acting more like Chicken Little than a person of faith.  If this is the end of the world, what good is buying candles, food, and extra water going to do?   This is not going to be similar to a bad rain storm where we will lose power for a few days.  All of this panicking is not going to help anything or anyone. 
     It would be one thing if all of this panicking was taking place among people who are unbelievers.  Those people who do not believe in God or have no understanding of Christianity.  However, most of the people who are panicking are those who claim to be Christians.  It is as times like this that faith should become a priority.  If we know exactly what is going to happen in the future, there is no need for faith.  However, many people seem to have faith when they are aware of what will happen, but if the future is unknown they panic. 
     In the year 1000, many people believed that the world would come to an end because it was one thousand years since Our Lord Jesus had ascended into heaven.  However, nothing happened.  The same was true in the year 2000.  The fact that the Mayan calendar predicts that a major event will take place on December 21, 2012 is no reason for panic.  Numerous dates have been given for the end of the world over the past two thousand years and none of them have come true.
     Several years ago there were people who were predicting that the world would come to an end when Haley’s Comet appeared again.  This comet was seen by people all over the world and nothing happened.  There is no reason for someone to base their faith upon the movement of the stars or planets.  If such was the guide for determining when Jesus would return He would have given us some indication of this.  However, Jesus told us that no one knows the day or date when this will happen.  
    There will be many people who will feel very foolish when they wake up on December 22 and everything is ok.  They will realize that they panicked for no reason.  Others will be very happy that everything did not come to an end.  Neither of these responses will have any connection to faith.  
     This should be a time for people to ask themselves, “What do I believe?”  Instead people run to the store to buy food, milk, batteries, and extra water.  The sad part is that most people will simply forget about December 21 by January 1, 2013 and life will go on as if nothing ever happened.  If we truly believe than what is the need for panic?  If we do not believe, then why do we call ourselves believers?   

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