Sermon 09.15.2024: Embracing the End of the World as We Know It

We live in interesting times. There are wars and rumors of wars; the climate is changing with potentially catastrophic results not far off; we have experienced a pandemic that does not seem to be finished with us yet; geo-political alliances are shifting; and there is a general sense of dread at a global level. All of these elements combined seem to some to point to the end of the world as we know it. Is that something to fear, or something to root for? We will take a fresh look at the ancient biblical idea of apocalypse and what it means for us today. It may not be the worst thing that could happen!”

Scripture

Luke 21: 5-28 

The Destruction of the Temple Foretold

When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, ‘As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.’

Signs and Persecutions

They asked him, ‘Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?’ And he said, ‘Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, “I am he!” and, “The time is near!” Do not go after them.

‘When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.’ Then he said to them, ‘Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.

‘But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defence in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls.

The Destruction of Jerusalem Foretold

‘When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those inside the city must leave it, and those out in the country must not enter it; for these are days of vengeance, as a fulfilment of all that is written. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress on the earth and wrath against this people; they will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken away as captives among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Coming of the Son of Man

‘There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves.People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see “the Son of Man coming in a cloud” with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.’

Sermon Text

After a week like this one, can you believe it has only been 5 days?? And the (insert your favorite colorful metaphor) “storm” that followed—and hearing a text like this one Victor read about the end of the world, it might be good to hear an old joke or two - even if you know the punchlines! 

The story goes that a Monsignor entered the Papal Chambers in a rush. Your Eminence “I have good news and bad news of the utmost importance.” Which do you want first? “Well, I suppose the good news.” “Holy Father, Jesus has returned to earth!” This is wonderful news”, replied to Pope, “what could possibly be the bad news?” “Well”, said the Monsignor, “he’s in Salt Lake City." 

Another old joke like it. A Monsignor charges into the Papal offices saying excitedly, “Holy Father, Jesus has returned to earth and he is on his way here to the Vatican, what should we do?” The Pope quickly replied, “Look busy. Everybody look busy!” 

There is a fascination about the end of the world—It doesn’t seem to matter whether you are religious or not. 

Remember the Mayan Apocalypse—2012—some thought the absence of further characters on the wheel of the Mayan calendar that ended in the year that represented 2012 would be the end of the world as we know it. 

You may remember Harold Camping predicted the world would end on October 21, 2011—billboards and radio ads all over the world…after, of course, he had predicted it would end on May 21st that same year. Some had forgotten that he had confidently predicted it would end in 1994. Obviously, it did not. 

In 1910, Haley’s Comet was so close to the earth that it was visible during parts of the day. Many thought it might be “a sign in the portents of heaven.” Some feared it might mark the beginning of the end of the world as we know it. 

Lots of folks have predicted the end of the world as we know it. Religious leader William Miller began preaching in 1831 that the end of the world as we know it would occur with the second coming of Jesus Christ in 1843. He attracted as many as 100,000 followers who believed that they would be carried off to heaven when the date arrived. When the 1843 prediction failed to materialize, Miller recalculated and determined that the world would actually end in 1844. Follower Henry Emmons wrote, “I waited all Tuesday, and dear Jesus did not come … I lay prostrate for 2 days without any pain—but sick with disappointment.” 

Beginning when she was 42 years old, Joanna Southcott reported hearing voices that predicted future events, including the crop failures and famines of 1799 and 1800. She began publishing her own books and eventually developed a following of as many as 100,000 believers. In 1813, she announced that in the following year she would give birth to the second messiah, whose arrival would signal the last days of the Earth—despite being 64 years old and, as she told her doctors, a virgin. She died before a baby could be born. 

“Many will come after me saying I am he…” 

One of my all-time favorites is The Prophet Hen of Leeds. In 1806, a domesticated hen in Leeds, England, appeared to lay eggs inscribed with the message “Christ is coming.” Great numbers of people reportedly visited the hen and began to despair of the coming Judgment Day. It was soon discovered, however, that the eggs were not in fact prophetic messages but the work of the hen’s owner, who had been writing on the eggs in corrosive ink and reinserting them into the poor hen’s body. 

Because the Bible calls 666 the number of the Beast, many Christians in 17th-century Europe feared the end of the world in the year 1666. The Great London Fire, which lasted from September 2 to September 5 of that year, destroyed much of the city, including 87 parish churches and about 13,000 houses. Many saw it as a fulfillment of the end of the world prophecy. Given such a large amount of property damage, though, the death toll of the fire was remarkably low, reportedly only 10 people—not quite the end of the world. 

But we are fascinated with this topic. Some names that might be more familiar: 

Martin Luther thought the world end before the year 1600. 

John Wesley predicted it would be in 1836. 

The Jehovah’s Witnesses predicted the end would come in 1975. 

Some thought the Cubs winning the World Series in 2016 might be a sign of the end times! Those of us from Cleveland who were on the other end of that World Series, know that it will involve the Browns and Super Bowl—and should that happen, I will have my affairs in order because it will either be the end of the world—or a cold day in Hell! 

Some folks think the world might end on the first Tuesday of November… 

People are fascinated by the end of the world—in part because the world, at times, is such a difficult and impossible place—never able to recapture the harmony and equity of our stories of Eden. 

I want to suggest that this text is a comforting text. It was for its first hearers and may be for us as well. In the ancient world there was an understanding that time was divided into two eras: 

An Old Age—characterized by the rule of Satan and demons, by exploitation, fractiousness, sickness, inequality, scarcity, enmity with nature, violence and death. 

But they held hope for a New Age—characterized by the Realm of God - marked by angels, mutuality, true community health, equality, abundance blessing between humankind and nature—peace and life-giving circumstances. 

Who wouldn’t hope for that? 

The people believed that it would take an act of Divine intervention to make it right. 

A few weeks ago, our grandson Hudson was at the house playing with Legos and it was time to clean up. There were Legos strewn across the room from one end to the other, along with micro machines, ninja turtles, and assorted other toys his daddy used to play with. I looked at Hudson and I said, “It’s time to clean up now. We have to pick all of this up.” As he looked across the family room and saw the enormity of the task, he just sat down and started to cry, overwhelmed at the prospect of the work. It was just too much. 

The world is in such a mess that we are indeed left to the believe that the only way for it to get better would be for God to come and clean it up. 

Some believe the only way for that to happen is with a cataclysmic event—God toasting the world like a marshmallow. 

Which leads to the question—if that is true—then why bother? What difference does it make if we take care of the environment? Why should we even try to get along? Who cares about what happens if God it’s going to destroy it and it all is going to go away anyway? 

And honestly, the world as we know it, coming to an end would not be such a bad thing—if what we are talking about is the ending of violence, hatred, bigotry, poverty, medical pandemics, disrespect for difference of opinion, the blatant disregard for human and non-human life, the absence of meaningful vocations, the toxic poisoning of the planet, the worshipping of wealth, unjust and disproportionate in-prisoning of people of color, the fear we feel in encountering difference—be it race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or nationality… I am all for that world coming to an end. To end the idolization of individualism, the abuse of innocent children, the sexual assault of women as somehow acceptable, the failure of government to work for the common good of its citizens… 

I am ready—I am so ready—for that kind of a world to end. Aren’t you? 

Wouldn’t you like to live in a world that is not filled with anxiety? Wouldn’t you like to live in a world where the sick receive the medical care they need? Wouldn’t you like to live in a world where there is clean water to drink and food enough to eat for all of the human family? Can you even begin to imagine a world where black and white, yellow and brown, male and female, young and old, gay and straight, get along with each other—not simply tolerating each other, but become advocates for one another? 

Apocalyptic literature like the text before us today is meant to drive us to some important and meaningful questions: 

What is it that is tied to God’s Ultimate purpose? 

What is it that would make the heart of the Divine sing? 

What is it that God desires for us, and all of the children of creation? 

If those questions are hard to answer—then ask this: What kind of world do you want for your children and grandchildren? 

Do we realize that when we pray, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” are we saying we want an end to the world as we know it—we want the Holy Transformation of all things. The problem is that we often don’t see ourselves in the equation. We are part of the calculus. 

We sometimes think that such a thing will happen totally outside of ourselves—as if we were praying, “You bring the kingdom. We’ll get our lawn chair and bring the beer.” We just don’t see ourselves as cofounders of the eschatological feast. 

Do we have a role to play, or do we just let God take care of business? Are we stewards of the power of the Holy Spirit or just actors holding space, waiting for God to draw the final curtain? Does what we do matter or not? 

The gospels suggest that we have the power to act now—for good or for evil—we get to choose—and there are consequences for our choices. 

I believe that real judgment is not reserved for some mythical moment in the future—but occurs in the decisions I make moment to moment. When I reject the principles of the Realm of God, the consequences are that I become more broken in my life and that I compound the brokenness of others. 

When I respond to the Divine Lure—the gentle calling of God to move toward and embrace the qualities the Realm of God it provides moments of healing—it stops the world as we know it and brings about transformation. 

As a theologian, I know that putting trust in anything less than the Ultimate will lead me to ultimate disappointment. I want this country to reflect my values, but believing that putting someone in the White House or the Statehouse could make that possible alone is destined to be disaster. It doesn't mean it is not important, it is just not an end to and of itself. 

We do well to remember our own church history. It was the government that killed Jesus and sought to eliminate his movement of “the way.” When it could not stop Jesus’ movement, the government co-opted it to secure its own hold on power and to preserve its own values. A motive from which we seemingly have never fully escaped. 

I don’t doubt Constantine had a conversion experience in 312 AD at the Milvian bridge, but it is also hard to escape the truth that the Christian Faith was used by Constantine unite a crumbling and divided empire. He called the first Nicen Church Council. It was empire that helped to shape the essential early doctrines of the Church. 

Being too close to the seat of power carries great risk. 

Only distance allows for prophetic perspective. This is the real problem of conflating the church and state and why Christian Nationalism is so dangerous. The church becomes a cudgel to abuse others who are out of step with the state and its agenda. 

Creating a culture of generosity, of welcome, of justice, and grace; one that affirms the value of every person as a child of God is not the work of government—it is the work of the church. We can wish that our government could someday be the catalyst that makes laws in our land that work for all people rather than for some—and against others. But we cannot place our hope there alone to make it so. And in the end, the law, for all its benefits, cannot legislate the province which is the human heart. That is reserved for the work of transformation, which again, only God can do, and do so only with the willing. 

Bringing a compelling word about a better way of being is the only real hope of living up to the values we claim for ourselves as a nation. We need to engage not just in campaigning but in the work of conversion. 

And so, we can acknowledge our anger, grief, sadness, and some uncertainty as the election looms. But despite a potential crushing blow that we might return someone to the white house who seems more interested in himself than others, we are not without hope. Some want to manipulate us with fear and darkness—but we can choose hope. 

Hope has always been a slim shimmering light in the darkness of despair, a courageous whisper softly spoken against the din of populist provocation, a tender branch unbroken though whipped by the blustering winds of earthly principalities, and above all a belief that what might be is greater than what now exists. 

The upcoming election should serve as a reminder to the Church—that we have what the world needs, the change that it longs for but does not recognize. This is not the time to be paralyzed by our fear or bound up in our anger that we no longer can discern and agree upon what is true in relation to our politics; but with resolve on our tear-stained faces to get to work as stewards of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

It is up to us to welcome the stranger. It is up to us create safe spaces for LGBTQ people. It is up to us to care for the poor. It is up to us to tend to the needs of the sick. It is up to us to protect the earth. It is up to us, by choosing to live in beloved community, to leave no doubt that all lives matter and most especially those who have been led to believe otherwise by the crushing sin of racism. This is our job to do. How wonderful it would be if the leaders in government were aligned with those same values—but whether they are or not does not change our assignment. 

We can pressure the government to conform, but we cannot worship at its alter nor stand voiceless against its abuses. The faith we proclaim believes that the cross and resurrection are less about us getting into heaven, and more about getting heaven into us, and through us, into the world around us. 

And here at Calvary that is happening through Matthew 25 partners for change—ways your generosity bears witness to the values of the Realm of God. Supporting women through SafeHouse and Hope Center; helping low-income families and those experiencing homelessness find basic resources they need to have stability and a sense of normality in the chaos of disruption through Raphael House; supporting refugees in the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity and being a Living Sanctuary that assists immigrants—making it clear that while a person may be undocumented no person is illegal. 

Every time Victor sits at the bedside of a loved one who is dying or counsels those who are troubled; when Joann welcomes one into the church and engages them in faith formation; or when Marci offers a word of hope and challenge from the pulpit that evokes a response; or when Allison or Jeff help a young person have an “ah ha” moment about their faith; or when Robin connects a person’s gifts to service in mission—the realm of God inches just a little bit closer. Sometimes, Micheal and John give us glimpse of the realm’s transcendence and mystery in music that reminds us that the realm is breaking into the here and now in our worship. 

Every time we step in the path of a bully. Every time we don’t just feed the poor but ask why they are so. Every time we make room for a person no-one else wants. Every time we take the risk to build a bridge instead of a wall. Every time we stop an inappropriate comment about women, or a disabled people. Every time we stop to let a person know that their life really does matter when they believe the world is telling them otherwise. Every time we do unto others the way we would want it done unto us. Every time we love our neighbor as ourselves—we are embracing the end of the world as we know it. 

The church is a movement for wholeness in a broken world—we acknowledge that the world is broken—we just don’t accept that it needs to stay that way. When we can come to the altar around the sacred elements of communion—and see not what makes us different—but rather see on each other’s faces the very image of the One who created each one of us—then in that moment surely Jesus will have come, and with him the end of the world as we know it. 

These are the things that Jesus was about in his ministry. These are the things he claimed were important and mattered and transformed the world. These are the things Jesus did, and he transformed the world—these are the things that if we do them—if we dare to practice a generosity that empowers missions of justice and mercy and that bears witness to the fact that every life is precious—that can indeed bring an end to the world as we know it… 

And the time to start is now.