Winning Ways: The End?

It ends on December 21. Not the world, likely. But the current talk about the end of the world will end.

A shame, in a way, since there's wisdom in considering the end.

I'm sure you know about the current Mayan meme. Apparently the ancient Mayans had a prophecy that December 21, 2012 would be the end-date of a 5,125-year-long cycle. This has evolved into a cultural sensation, and while most treat it with the humor it deserves, others have panicked. A wave of hoarding has hit China, where the John Cusack film "2012" has been popular. Russia’s government put their minister of emergency situations before the media to reassure people he had “methods of monitoring what is occurring on the planet Earth,” and that the rumors were not true.

Don't laugh, America: NASA scientist David Morrison has also been spending his time explaining to Americans exactly why the doomsday panic is unfounded. "Two years ago, I met with a group of middle-school science teachers,” Morrison says, “and I asked them how many of them were seeing kids who were worried about 2012. Nearly every hand shot up.” He gets "a tremendous number of e-mails about it,” he says, adding that “a large fraction are from people saying they’re scared and don’t know what to do.”

As I said, it's sort of a shame that on December 22 the talk that the world will end will end. Jesus and his apostles strongly advised we think about such things. In the Bible, there are more than 500 references to the end of the world at the return of Christ.

Mind, such careful reflection shouldn't result in the kind of anxiety and panic that the Mayan hoopla has generated. Instead, thinking of the end of all things should result in--

encouraging others to keep going (Hebrews 10:25),

arranging priorities in light of eternity (Colossians 3:2-4),

holy living (2 Peter 3:11-14),

faithful witness (1 Peter 3:15),

and longing prayer (Matthew 6:10).

When you wake up on December 21, why not turn to each of those texts and evaluate your life? It would be a good way to take a day that has grown large in our world's imagination and use it for your own spiritual growth.

Tom

Hillcrest Christmas schedule: On Sunday, December 23, we worship at 10 a.m. with no small-group meetings at 11 a.m. On Monday, December 24, join me for our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at 6 p.m.

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Each Wednesday I post my article from “Winning Ways,” an enewsletter distributed via email. Sign up at www.hillcrestaustin.info/subscriptions.