Jeremiah 33:14-16
Psalm 25:1-10
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
Luke 21:25-36
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.
There’s a great old song by the alternative rock band from Athens , Georgia R.E.M., “It’s the End of the World as We Know It, (And I Feel Fine).” The song is both wonderfully melodic and completely unsingable. If you wonder how they pulled that off, you’ve never heard them give it a go. In an interview with Guitar World magazine, guitar player Peter Buck said that it was created in the style of Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues”[1] if that helps. The chorus is simple, if not at least half-profound:
It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine...[2]
About eighteen months ago I mentioned Christian radio host Harold Camping’s prediction that the Rapture and Judgment Day would take place on May 21, 2011. You’ll remember that after May 21 passed without incident, he “checked his math” and revised the expected date to October 21, 2012. We may not remember what happened on October 21 but we remember what didn’t happen, the Rapture. Just to add insult to injury, May 21, 2011, in honor of Camping’s end times prediction, R.E.M.’s “It’s the End of the World as We Know It, (And I Feel Fine)”[3] was sung on stage in Holmdel , New Jersey
Good times…
Jesus predicted that “they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” Jesus says, “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.”
Good times…
The website “2012Apocalypse.net” begins with this little picker-upper:
“The 2012 Apocalypse is predicted by an intersection of Religions, Science, and Prophesies. Many Great Prophets, Religious Scriptures, and Scientific evidence point to a possible apocalyptic event happening in the year 2012.”[4]
Once again I say: Good times…
2012Apocalypse.net doesn’t rely on just the Mayans to headline their website; they cite an array of peoples to make their point. Along with the Mayans; Hopis, Egyptians, Kabbalists, Essenes, the Qero elders of Peru , Navajo, Cherokee, Apache, the Iroquois confederacy, the Dogon Tribe, and Australian Aborigines all believe in an ending to this Great 2012 Apocalyptic Cycle.
The jest behind the Mayan prediction is that we are living at the end of a great cosmic year. As keen stargazers, the ancient Mayans were familiar with the astrological cycle known as the Precession of the Equinoxes. One cosmic year lasts about 26,000 of our calendar years. In this time, the Earth passes through each of the 12 signs of the zodiac taking from 2,000 to 2,152 years each. Each of these astrological ages represents one month of the Cosmic Year.
“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.”
Sounds familiar…
The Mayans were keen stargazers. Honestly though, not many people buy into that sort of a calendar anymore. We like our calendar just the way it is, except for every kid born on February 29. We like the regularity; but before the Gregorian calendar, established in 1582, it wasn’t quite as regular. Because of the calendar being used, over the course of about 1000 years, the first day of spring had moved back from March 21 to March 11.[5] So our calendar was imperfect. I guess this is why Jesus never made predictions based on a calendar.
He does remind us that we will be able to see the signs when they happen though. “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God
Jesus continues, “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Now, I’m not going to stand before you and preach what befuddles me. What I do know and understand is that by this passage some of the early First Century churches believed that Jesus would return before their generation, their lives, ended. As a result, they didn’t do much. They weren’t active in their faith. They were happy that Jesus would be back soon and waited on him like a bus. They became the subject of one of Paul’s “… some of you…” speeches. They had a starring role in the churches mentioned by John in his revelation.
“Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing (now there’s a word that doesn’t get enough use), drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
Scholarship and supposition reaches beyond my understanding on apocalyptic passages. As long as I don’t know, I don’t intend to create truth out of what I don’t understand. So here’s what I do know.
I know that the signs Jesus mentions: The signs in the sun, moon and stars, the nations in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People fainting from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world; this stuff was happening in Jesus’ time, was happening long before Jesus time, and has been happening since. In one fell swoop Jesus prophesies the past, the present, and the future.
One of the most important things we can do with this scripture is realize that the coming of Christ is always coming. He has been coming since before the beginning and he continues to come everyday. We aren’t supposed to set our alarm clocks, we are supposed to know Jesus is coming and be ready. We aren’t supposed to wait on Jesus like waiting on a bus. We’re supposed to be serving the kingdom while we wait.
Here’s the last thing about the Mayan calendar. Is it possible that the whole cosmic cycle that began some 26,000 years ago turns over a new page on December 22? Can’t it just start a new cosmic cycle? There’s no reason why not. Many Mayan Calendar apologists believe this is likely.
The 2012Apocalypse website ends saying “The 2012 apocalypse brings peace, a higher consciousness, and a spirituality that has not been seen since the beginning of time.” The Mayans might be onto something here. It’s not the end of the world; it’s the end of the world as we know it.
When all of this turmoil begins Jesus says, “Stand up, and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near. Now there’s the good news, when the world begins to fall apart around you, “Your redemption is near.” It’s not the end of the world, it’s the end of the world as we know it, and in Christ, I feel fine.
Jesus doesn’t want “doomsday preppers.” Jesus wants people to stand up and take the word into the world. Jesus doesn’t want people to hoard. Jesus wants those with plenty to share with those who need. Jesus does not want greedy takers. Jesus wants generous givers. Jesus wants us, his church, to love God and act like it means something in our lives. This is what we are called to do so that we may be able to stand before the Son of Man upon his return.
The Christian Rock band dcTalk recorded “It’s the End of the World as We Know It, (And I Feel Fine)” for their live “Jesus Freak” CD. It’s a fresh version if you haven’t heard it. Their rock-rap-and-soul style brings something new to the song. The attitude of this song being sung by a Christian band makes the whole thing different. There’s hope to their end of the world.
There’s no reservation, no irony, no making fun of poor Harold Camping. There’s hope that God is in control. In a world where the breaking of the kingdom happens now and at the same time sorely wants; there is hope that in the end of the world, a world being transformed not destroyed, there is peace and joy, a new world of grace God initiated in Christ powered by the Holy Spirit. There is hope of peace, a higher consciousness, and a spirituality that has not been seen since the beginning of time. There is redemption. That would truly be the end of the world as we know it, and I would feel fine.
This is our hope, and what makes our hope important is our response. We can’t just wait because Jesus is coming. Advent means coming, this is true, but we must be active as we wait for his coming. As we wait, we should be filled with joyful worship and faithful discipleship.
The Mayans might be onto something. When we expect the glorious coming of God, we can expect an apocalypse that brings peace, a higher consciousness, and a spirituality that has not been seen since the beginning of time. This is worth standing up and lifting our heads.
Good times.
[1] Wikipedia page, “It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_the_End_of_the_World_as_We_Know_It_(And_I_Feel_Fine). Citing http://www.yuppiepunk.org/2008/10/podcast-8-list-songs.html as the primary source.
[2] Berry, Bill, Buck, Peter, Mills, Michael, and Stipe, Michael, “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” Warner/Chappell Music, 1987.
[3] Ibid. Wikipedia
[4] 2012Apocalypse.net
[5] Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar.
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