NEXT FROM LAST WEDNESDAY OF THE KINGDOM
20 November 2013
Readings:
Key Verses:
2 Thes. 2:3, 4: “[The day of Christ] will not be, unless… the man of sin is revealed… he who opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God or that is worshiped.”
Mark 13:21, 22: Jesus said, “If anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’… don’t believe it. For there will arise false christs and false prophets.”
Reflection
Every generation thinks of itself as the pinnacle of history, living as though its times are much more important than those long gone, or those to come. Obviously, though, no one time period can be the culmination of all recorded time, but I have to argue that our generation does have a measurable novelty that previous ones never had. The last century saw the widespread rise of instant communication—telephones, radio, television—and this one has seen the addition of constant communication in the form of the Internet, with smartphones and tablets putting the world literally at our fingertips.
This really is something the world has never seen before, but it comes at a price. For we are one of the first generations to be made instantly aware of everything that is happening in the world—especially the bad. And in the religious world, this has the effect of fueling a doomsday worldview, where devastating storms like Typhoon Haiyan, the global economic crisis, earthquakes, terrorism, school shootings all become “signs of the end of the age”, and of Jesus’ return.
To be fair, this isn’t exactly coming out of nowhere. Today’s readings are filled with the grim picture of the end of the world: a darkened sun and moon, stars falling out of the sky, false prophets, anarchy, etc. But these last two are the ones that caught my eye this week. At first I thought it’s because they’re easier to imagine, and closer to my experience (and I suspect yours as well). I mean, the “false prophet” might be played by the doomsday preacher who uses natural disasters to predict Jesus’ return, and Satan can always fill in as the “man of lawlessness”. That’s the easy answer.
The tough answer is that we don’t need to wait for doomsday preachers or demons to put on this show for us. Whenever we turn to satisfy strictly our own self-serving needs, making ourselves the center of our own universe, we cast ourselves in the roles of false prophets and lawless people. The parts are more subtle than a demon or a falling meteor, but the production is just as deadly—maybe even more so because these attack our spirit, our humanity, everything that God stands for. If we as a society ever get to the point where we become the pinnacle of creation, acting just because we can and have the freedom to, regardless of the consequences; lording ourselves over nature; building temples in which to worship our own seemingly superhuman creations; loving lies, double-talk, and ways to cheat each other, then the End Times really may come.
But even here there’s still hope. We can’t control the heavenly bodies, storms and earthquakes, and other natural disasters, but we can control our behavior. We don’t have to be false. We don’t have to be lawless. In fact, we already know the core of God’s law: to love God, neighbor, and self—a trine that leads us nowhere except towards truth, goodness and honesty. Maybe that’s why the end hasn’t come yet—because as long as there are still people who sincerely strive to do these, then God won’t be finished with us.
Prayer of the Day
Almighty God,
no one can make void your sovereign purpose.
Give us faith to be steadfast
amid the tumults of this world,
knowing that your kingdom shall come,
and your will be done,
to your eternal glory;
through Jesus Christ, your Son our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.
—adapted from the Collect for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time from the Book of Common Worship of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
(Words: John Cennick, 1752 from Rev. 1:7; altered by Charles Wesley, 1758, and by Martin Madan, 1760; adapted by Joseph A. Soltero, 2013, in part from The Presbyterian Hymnal, 1990)
Tune: ‘Helmsley’, Thomas Olivers, 1753; harmony by Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1906)
Lo! He comes with clouds descending,
Once for our salvation slain!
Thousand, thousand saints attending
Swell the triumph of his train:
Alleluia! (x3)
Christ the Lord returns to reign!
Every eye shall now behold him
Robed in awe and majesty.
Those who jeered and mocked and sold him,
Pierced and nailed him to the tree,
Deeply wailing (x3)
Shall the true Messiah see.
Those dear tokens of his passion
Still his dazzling body bears,
Cause of endless exultation
To his ransomed worshippers.
With what rapture (x3)
We shall meet him o’er the spheres.
Yea, Amen! Let all adore you,
High on your eternal throne.
Crowns and empires fall before you,
Claim the kingdom for your own.
Alleluia! (x3)
You will reign, and you alone!
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