Harold Camping is getting major media coverage with his prediction that Jesus will return next week. To me it is surprising because he made a similar prediction at least once in the past and it proved false. I am reminded that William Miller (or at least people around him) made three different predictions in 1843-44 before giving up.
Let me be very clear about where I am personally on this topic. I would be delighted if Jesus were to return this coming weekend. I would be even happier if He were to come back today! There has been too much bloodshed, too many wars, too many innocent women and children abused, too much self-centered oppression of the poor, too many people starved to death, too many deaths from cancer and AIDS. It is time for this world to come to an end and for Christ to establish His kingdom as He promised so clearly and simply in John's gospel, Chapter 14, verses 1 through 3. It is past time for the vision God shared at the end of the Bible in Revelation 21 of His holy city where there be no more suffering, poverty or injustice! Let it begin now, even before I post this piece.
But Jesus went to great lengths in Matthew 24-25 to patiently explain to His followers that we must be patient for God to do this wonderful thing in His own good time. His time is not our time, and Harold Camping has proved himself to be a very poor student of the Bible. He has missed the clearly statements from Jesus that "no one knows the day." (Matthew 24:36) What it boils down to is that you have to choose between believing Jesus or believing Camping. It is an easy choice. Camping is not the Son of God and he did not prove himself ultimately trustworthy by dying for me on the cross. Sorry, Harold; your nuts. I choose Jesus.
But this blog is not about me making faith statements; it is about trends in culture and their impact on religion. The fact that National Public Radio and major, national newspapers have covered Camping's prediction indicates that there is growing interest in the topic. Journalists have also pointed out the recent proliferation of apocalyptic themes in movies, television, and novels. It is probably more about the economic crisis and the recent cluster of earthquakes and other natural disasters than it is real, spiritual change. Nonetheless is provides an important opportunity for the followers of Jesus to share share His promise to return and the world He intends to create on this planet. That is the bottom line of the whole story, the reason for the gospel.
Armageddon is no longer a theological term but a description of our economic, ecological environment. Campy did a masterful job in leveraging the environment of chronic fear and uncertainty to provide a false certainty.
If there are a people who have much experience to live between now and not yet are the Adventists.
Can we use this event to bolster the faith and hope of frightened seekers?
Posted by: Chris | May 17, 2011 at 06:51 PM