It's the end of the world as we know it (and why you should feel fine)

(By Erik)

Micah Hobbs asked me to deliver the sermon at Tealridge, a retirement community that has its own worship service on Sunday afternoons. Here's what I've put together. I'll likely have to shorten it.

When people look back on 2005 they’ll likely think of disasters.

The year began as much of the world was reeling from a killer tsunami that claimed more than 120,000 lives. Earthquakes and hurricanes followed, taking more lives and causing billions of dollars in damage. Widespread flooding has impacted India, and famine has intensified in southern Africa.

Add to that the man-made disaster of terrorism and war. Aside from the continuing conflict in Iraq, there were bomb attacks in the United Kingdom and killing in Somalia and Darfur.

Surely with everything that’s happened this year people around the globe have to be thinking about the end of the world — or so I thought. I asked all of my international contacts how they were responding to such questions from the people they serve, thinking it would make a good story for the Chronicle.

The response was underwhelming.

Only a few people wrote back, and most gave theological reasons as to why they didn’t believe that the events of 2005 were “signs of the end of days.” In churches of Christ we tend to have an aversion to talking about such matters, I believe. Also, I don’t think I did a good job of communicating the type of information I wanted for the story. (This kind of thing happens a lot when you send English-language messages around the globe.)

But Charles and Darlene Coulston’s answer was a large dose of reality for me. They’re missionaries in Nairobi, Kenya, working with a ministry called Made in the Streets. They provide orphaned children with a home, food and education.

“We have talked about the disasters with our students and prayed during chapel times — especially for Pakistan,” Charles Coulston said.

The missionaries also asked the children to break into discussion groups about the disasters. I found their responses quite sobering.

Maybe the events of 2005 did indicate that the world is ending, the former street children decided.

If so — good!

“Our kids are used to pain and loss,” Charles Coulston explained. “They look forward to the end of the world, which will be a new beginning for us all.”

There’s a lot that these orphans in Kenya could teach me about appreciating the little things in life — and staying focused on the finish line.

Christians throughout history have wondered about the end of the earth, but it seems to me that when it’s mentioned in the Bible, it’s never highlighted as “the big deal.”

The books of 1 and 2 Thessalonians are full of references to the final days. 2 Thessalonians talks in depth about “the man of lawlessness” — something I don’t even begin to understand.

But the focus of Paul’s letters to the people of Thessalonica doesn’t seem to be, “The end of the world is coming. Here’s what to look for …”

Instead, he seems to be saying, “The end of the world is coming, but don’t get caught up in it. Keep working.”

“Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know that very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3)

Paul seems to be telling his readers to avoid getting too concerned about when the end is coming. Evidently they do get a little too caught up in it, however, and part of the reason why Paul writes 2 Thessalonians is to correct some misconceptions that arose after he wrote 1 Thessalonians.

“Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us — whether by a prophecy or by world of mouth or by letter — asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-2)

Instead of fretting about what might or might not be happening in the world, Paul tells us what we should do while we have the time:

“You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12)

Some Bible scholars believe that some people in the Thessalonian church had gotten so caught up in the thought that the world would end any day that they stopped working and basically were “mooching” off the church or others. Paul admonishes them not only to work, but to work with their hands. The Greeks thought that manual labor was something for slaves — it was “beneath” them.

(Typing counts as working with your hands, doesn’t it?)

In the parable of the 10 virgins, Jesus tells us, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” (Matthew 25:13)

I think that one of the reasons I tend to get concerned about the world ending is … well … I kinda’ like it here. I have a great job, great family and a lot of stuff — nice stuff. I don’t want things to change. It’s a very different life for the street children in Kenya.

One of them, Moses Ndungu, said that the first thing he would do if the world ended would be to “run and hug Jesus.”

That’s the kind of faith I need. While I lament the evils of this world and the catastrophic death toll of 2005, I should also rejoice in the blessed assurance that this world is temporary, and there is life after this life.

Historians believe that the non-Christians in Thessalonica viewed death with horror, as evidenced by inscriptions on their tombs. Some of the early church members thought that those who died would not see Jesus, but Paul told them otherwise.

“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14)

A few verses later, Paul writes:

“And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:17-18)