December 21

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
 His love endures forever. (Psalm 136:1 NIV)

We are quickly approaching another one of "those" dates.  Yep... according to the Mayan calendar, the days are coming to an end 3 months from now.  It seems like this one has gotten more than just the Christian radicals excited.  Religious and secular prophets alike are warning that if it's not the end of the world, it will at least be the end of the world as we have known it up to now.  Some say nuclear war.  Some say world-wide economic devestation. And of course a large number of Christians say "rapture."

I'm reading an interesting book called, "Left Behind and Loving It," by Mark D. Davis.  He picks apart the poor theology of the so-called "rapture."  It is well-grounded Bible teaching based on the kind of theology more of the main-line churches like Lutherans and Episcopals believe.  Davis simply explains how the Bible passages that "rapture" theologists point to were meant to be read.  He begins by showing different passages that tell the same story... one in a narrative voice which is simply writing what took place in regular spoken language; and the other in a poetic voice, using metaphors and similes and other kinds of imagery and symbolism.  Both accouts are true, but one is written for the head and the other for the heart.

"Rapturists" want to read this poetic stuff the same way they read the narrative stuff.  They make it all  literal and come up with these scary prophesies about horsemen riding through the sky loosing terrible ills upon the world and an angry Jesus floating on a cloud coming to teach us all a lesson the hard way.

But Davis reminds us again and again of one of the most oft-repeated passages in the Bible:  "God's steadfast love endures forever."  There are no words that qualify or quantify this statement.  God's love is steadfast.  God's love endures.  God's love is forever.  And God so loved THE WORLD.  God does not want us to live anxiously wondering if we will indeed be one of the ones snatched up... and what about those that we love?  No.  God tells us to be at rest in his love.  Be at peace in his love.  He tells us NOT to be anxious.  So why would he hang this anxiety-riddled threat over our heads?

If you are anxious about December 21st of this year, relax.  I think the Mayans just got tired of numbering their calendar!

Father, 
Thank you for your steadfast love that endures forever.  Help us to rest in that promise.  Amen.

Joys:  Good theology; fun day with Richard; some sunshine finally