Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen

As I am sure you've heard by now, tomorrow is the day the earth ends. Or it's the rapture for Christians and those who believe (in Christ, in the rapture, or both) will rise up into the sky.

So I wanted to be sure to say goodbye to those of you who are my readers who may not be here come Sunday. I hope you have a good trip.

One report I read said Christians will rise from their graves and take a walk before heading up into the clouds. I find that a bit horrific and a little terrifying to think about, myself. They have to be pretty moldy or nothing but bones. I suppose some people find comfort in this notion, but I can't say that I do.

In any event, I do not plan to be among those who are rising upwards tomorrow, even though I have been baptised and thus might qualify.  I just happen to think it isn't going to work like that, nor do I think the end of the world is a predictable date. I hope I am not surprised.

I am not poking fun. I think that people who believe this are completely serious. It bothers me, though, that these end of the world scenarios will not go away. What I find disturbing about it is that people want to leave their life so quickly. Does it mean nothing? That, to me, is very sad. I think it is quite a verdict on society, too, that so many people find so little happiness in this lifetime that they are eager to move on to the next. That there are so many who want to do this speaks poorly of our ability to care for one another.

I also wonder what happens to people who fervently believe such things and then are let down. Do they just decide they had a wrong date? Do they begin to question the things they've been taught? What happens when you believe something like this and it turns out to be false?

According to this article by the Guardian, ideas about the end of the world began in the 17th century. Thus one might blame modernization for these end time beliefs. Is it modern science, as the article states? Or is it the result of the more individualistic society in which we live, where we have little regard for our fellow man?

Some people think Christ has already come a second time and we are living in the hell that follows. I don't know about that. Poverty has been around for forever, as have diseases, illnesses, and other bad things. Seems like there might be something there to indicate a change of some sort had something like that happened.

The world will end one day. Maybe an asteroid will collide with the planet, or the sun will blow up, or the guys in suits who have their fingers on the nuclear buttons will have too much to drink one night and boom! there we all go. But I find I cannot live my life worrying about such things.

Anyway, whatever happens tomorrow, I hope that you find peace and happiness. Be blessed, be joyful, be kind to small animals.

Have a great day.

I'll be blogging again tomorrow.