The
world as we know it is coming to an end!
That
was the cry of many people across our region just earlier this month. The news
was not altogether unexpected, and some had been reluctantly anticipating a
change for years, but it was still hard to comprehend that such an illustrious era
was in its final days. When it was officially made public, a mixture of shock
and respectful thanksgiving flowed throughout the land, followed by substantial
worry about what would lie ahead: Frank Beamer had announced his retirement.
The
world as we know it is coming to an end! That, too, is the underlying subtext
of the debate we are now treated to every November when the supposed “War on
Christmas” heats up. Whether it involves the decorations on coffee cups or the political
correctness of seasonal greetings, or the placement of nativity scenes on
public property, the discussion about Christmas’s place in current culture is
really about mourning the loss of privileged status. For decades the Church
held a prominence in American culture that seemed to go uncontested. As people
in society become less apt to identify with a particular religion, as many congregations
continue decline in membership and vitality, those of Christian faith start to
feel as if some kind of world is ending...and so we argue about Christmas. There is substantial worry about what
lies ahead, for sure, and an anxiety as we shift and adjust to the demands of a
new time.
The
world as we know it is coming to an end! There were already plenty of examples
in the news about how the world order is creaking and straining under the rise
of religious extremism, but sadly at least two more were added (that we heard
about) in the last three days. Deadly attacks in Beirut and Paris, carried out
by the extremist group ISIS, have left hundreds dead and injured. Hundreds of
thousands of refugees who are fleeing similar acts that happen every day in
Syria and northern Iraq stand
stranded at the borders of Europe and other countries. Millions more across the
world, filled with anxiety about issues of security are wondering, if not
exactly with these precise words, “Is the world as we know it coming to an
end?”
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| A reconstructed model of the temple at the time of Jesus |
It
is helpful in times like these to pause for a moment and realize that these are
not the first times this question has been wondered, and we are far from the
first to ask it. Jesus himself gave warning to his disciples as they marveled
at the structure and size of the Temple in Jerusalem that they, too, would live
through times when it would feel the world was coming to an end. There would be
wars and rumors of wars and a type of pandemonium would ensue. Even the Temple
in Jerusalem would be torn down.
When
Jesus says this to his disciples, they must have thought he was exaggerating. The
Temple in Jerusalem was humongous. It was very likely the largest main-made structure
his country-bumpkin disciples had ever seen. In fact, Herod’s newly-renovated and
expanded masterpiece might well have been considered one of the architectural wonders
of the ancient world. And the Temple did not just loom large physically. It was
near and dear to the hearts of many. Because the Jewish people understood the
Temple to be the place on earth where God actually dwelt, it was revered
emotionally and spiritually. Although it had already fallen once, back in the
days when the Babylonian army rolled through, to hear Jesus say that it would
fall one day was still unimaginable. The stones, themselves, were too large to
imagine as crumbled. If
it happened, it would mean God would have nowhere left to dwell. And that could
only mean that the world as they knew it was ending.
As
Jesus’ words about the destruction of the Temple sink in, the group of
disciples walks over to the Mount of Olives and we hear in their questions to
Jesus some of the most commons human responses that arise from terror and
anxiety and concern that our sense of security is under attack. For example, Peter, James, John and Andrew immediately
want to know when it will all occur. Being able to pinpoint an exact time and
map out a precise schedule for how events will unfold does a lot to calm fears.
Isn’t that true about everything—What’s the semester going to bring? When will
I meet my future spouse? When will the doctors know the results of the latest
scan? If Jesus himself is suggesting that the times will become turbulent, we
can understand the disciples’ desire to have some details.
 |
| The Fall of the Jerusalem Temple (Francesco Hayez) |
The
second thing the disciples wonder as they sit back overlooking the Temple is
what the specific signs will be. This is crucial, for if you aren’t able to
know the specific time that things will change, then the second best is to know
what to see in order to anticipate living differently. Or—as in the case of
certain military groups that have an apocalyptic, end-of-the-world ideology—if
you are privy to the precise signs, you can lead people astray and attempt to
manipulate world events and cause terror in order to bring about the signs that
supposedly indicate a change in your favor.
It’s
all puzzling stuff, and I don’t know what you’ve noticed, but I’ve found,
generally-speaking, that peoples and groups that have relative power don’t like
to talk about these topics as much. Maybe they consider the “end-of-the-world”
scenarios passé or too Hollywood-y. Then again, if the times at hand benefit
their well-being, overall, it would stand to reason that they really wouldn’t
look for things to change, or they’d pooh-pooh people who clamor for it. Apocalyptic
literature generally arises out of communities that are suffering mass
oppression, those who look around them and see no hope and realize God is going
to have to take charge from outside the system.
What
we should really find interesting here, however—at least I do—is that Jesus does
not give them direct answers to either of their questions. His concern with the
fall of the Temple and the vague mention of conflict is less with when and what
precisely will happen and more about how faithful people should live. Because the
truth of the matter is that the world as we know it has been coming to an end
ever since that first Good Friday, when we saw the depth of God’s love for the
world. The truth of the matter is that although the Temple would fall, God has
already decided to take up residence elsewhere: in the life and death and
resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. And again through the work of God’s Holy
Spirit in the lives of the faithful on earth. Because of the cross of Jesus, we
live in God’s new age, and death, as terrifying as it can be, does not have the
final word. It is a new age, and evil, as often as it rattles its weapons and
straps on its bomb vests, will not ultimately triumph.
The
only clear instructions Jesus gives his disciples as they wonder and worry
about the new times at hand is this: “Do not be led astray” and “Do not be
alarmed.” As God’s people, our focus should not be on attempting to figure out precisely
what is going to happen in the years ahead and more with wondering how we can
respond to whatever happens in a Christlike way. As followers of Crucified and
Risen One, our energies are better spent by serving our neighbor and taking
part in the suffering of the world that with interpreting events and signs in
order to see if they fit in some broad symbolic pattern or code.
 |
| Dietrich Bonhoeffer |
For
a few, this call to remain unafraid and to involve ourselves in the world’s
struggles will involve high profile acts of courage and even martyrdom. One
example people like to remember is that of Dietrich Bonhoeffer in World War II.
He spoke out against the Nazi regime and got involved in a plot to take down
Hitler, but was caught and then imprisoned in a concentration camp. You can
hear his strong confidence in the ultimate triumph of God’s goodness in the
words of our Hymn of the Day today, which he wrote just months before he was
executed.
For
others this calm fearlessness looks like taking part in large demonstrations of
peaceful solidarity in support of others, a powerful example of which we saw on
Friday night after the attacks in Paris. In spite of their grief, large numbers
of crowds poured onto the streets in the dark, holding up simply-worded signs
that Jesus himself might have written, each letter illuminating the night: NOT
AFRAID.
For
most of us, though, I imagine heeding Jesus’ words to not be afraid in world
where Jesus’ grace is on the advance will look like small but no less
meaningful sacrifices of time and talent that benefit our neighbors. It will
look, I believe, like some of our HHOPE pantry and Vacation Bible School
volunteers this summer. After learning through their outreach efforts that our
congregation is immediately surrounded by several immigrant and underserved
families, they developed a plan to
invite them and then transport them to Vacation Bible School this past July. They
translated our VBS promotional materials into Spanish and distributed them with
the food. Then Cecil Baecher and one of our college youth drove the church van
and picked up three neighborhood kids every day. At first the young children
were apprehensive to join in, but by mid-week they were practically running out
of their houses and jumping in the van. That
following Saturday, when VBS had ended, one family drove in to pick up food at
the pantry. The child in the car was upset that they weren’t coming to Bible
School, but when he saw Cecil standing out directing traffic he exclaimed to
his mom, “Look! There’s my friend! See? He’s waiting for me to come inside!”
NOT
AFRAID…neither driver nor child.
Not
afraid to reach out and form new friendships.
Not
afraid to live into a new age of hope and promise under the guidance of a Risen
Savior.
The
writer to the Hebrews offers some direction this morning, “Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds,
not neglecting to meet together, as is
the habit of some, but encouraging
one another, and all the more as you
see the Day approaching.” The world as we know it is coming to an end, God
dwells even now with God’s people, and will bring everything—ev-er-y-thing—to a glorious conclusion.
Thanks
be to God!
The Reverend Phillip W.
Martin, Jr.
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