September 16, 2015

The end is near; but then again, the end is always near for someone.

Everywhere you look it seems like we are seeing more and more signs of the End Times.  Obviously wars and rumors of wars are big on that list.  I read a description from a victim of the wildfires in California who said, “I felt like it was the end times.  It was red and black and boiling.”  Add to that the hundreds of thousands of displaced Syrians, and, well, it can feel like the End Times are indeed upon us.

Natural disasters bring on end times for people affected by them.  Hurricanes Andrew and Katrina brought on end times for people in Florida and New Orleans.  The Christmas tsunami brought on end times for people in the western Pacific.  The wildfires that are tearing through the western states have delivered end times for homeowners and, unfortunately, a few firefighters.

For people involved in wars, the end times may indeed be here.  They may lose their homes, their land, their friends, their families or their own lives.  War creates end times for a lot of people.

Right now there are hundreds of thousands of people fleeing the war in Syria.  They've lost their homes.  They've lost their land.  Many of them have lost friends and family members.  The refugees have more reason to believe the End Times are upon them than any televangelist talking about some ridiculous “blood moon” prophecy.

Instead of focusing on the End Times and trying to read current events with an eye to the calendar and Jesus' return date, maybe we should be focusing on making the kingdom of God present and relevant in the here and now.  Jesus said blessed are those who fed, watered, clothed and welcomed those who needed feeding, water, clothing and were strangers.  Maybe this is where we exhibit and proclaim the kingdom and love of God.

There are plenty of resources and places to go if you want to be part of the solution; and one of those places is here:  http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/where-we-work.  It doesn't cover everything, and it's a limited resource, but it might not be a bad place to begin.

What would happen if we all stopped worrying about the End Times and began working for, and living into, Kingdom Times?

Amen.