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The End Is Near

 

The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. (I Peter 4:7)

 

          You’ve seen the placards announcing that the end is near, at least in cartoons. Most of those who refer to these posters do it in a sense of ridicule. The end has been near” since the days of Peter, they scoff. Well, those who believe that evolution is historical fact claim that we an our “near” relatives split off from one another about 11 million years ago. Just the blink of an eye in their timeline.. So, I guess whether twenty-one hundred years or three thousand years is “near” sort of depends on who’s using the term, and what they’re talking about. That tends to be unfair.

          As I walked this morning, one of the thoughts that wandered through my mind is the claim made by both sides in the political debate in this country that if the other side’s candidate wins, it’s the end of America. This has some of the same feeling to it. Both sides are right. If the Left wins, the legal and philosophical basis for this country will be shoved aside. If the Right wins, the dreams for the future may well die. It all depends on depends on your picture of America: the principles on which it was founded, or some bright, shining future. Once again, it all depends on your system of reference.

          For each of us, the end of all things is near. It’s as near as a car accident, a stage four diagnosis, or an attack by someone who hates us. So, what does Scripture teach us about life given that – in one way or another – the end is near? We’re told to be of sober mind or clear headed so that we can pray. That means we aren’t to run around, pulling out our hair because “it’s the end of the world!”  Instead, we’re to pray.

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