Apocalypse When?

The weather here in Jersey has been a bit erratic; Friday, December 21, for instance, it was stormy in the morning, followed by blue skies before noon, and then rather raw and overcast in the afternoon.  Nothing, though, to the suggest the much hyped Mayan end times that was supposed to go down that day.  Well, it's Sunday the 23rd, and we're still here.  I'm shocked at how many people I know, all rather sensible souls, who have been truly edgy over the impending apocalypse that wasn't. 

I believe it was St. Augustine who wrote that every age is allowed to think that they are the last in order to keep them from complacency.  While ours is not the only age that thought the end was nigh, there is no doubt that we are in a period of heightened expectations concerning the End of Days.  It seems that right now there are two schools of thought in Catholic-Christian circles concerning the eschaton.  One reads the Bible, and the Book of Revelation in particular, with an absolute literalism that ignores the obvious metaphorical and symbolic aspects of the book.  These people create elaborate time lines and try to match up current events with Biblical prophesy to determine where we're at in relation to the Second Coming.  The other side totally spiritualizes the notion of the end of the world, claiming the Bible speaks of events that have already past and posits that these oracles are talking allegorically or metaphorically about the continuing change of epochs and ages; for the first century Jews the fall of Jerusalem was like the end of the world, as was the sack of Rome for 5th century Romans.  Our society will pass eventually as well and it will seem like Doomsday to those living through it.  At best what we are hoping for is some kind of "golden age" where people return to God and form a truly just society.

I'm no scholar, I'm just a humble parish priest, but both ends of the spectrum seem off.   Second Peter mentions that the "elements will be dissolved by fire" (3:10).  The letter speaks specifically of a new heaven and new earth where the just will live.  That all humanity will share in the Resurrection, and that there is a Final Judgement that goes along with it is central to Jesus' teaching.  We should beware not to try to treat the Scriptures like a newspaper, at the same time not everything in the Bible is a metaphor.  Both Peter and Paul, especially in the fourth chapter of the latter's First Letter to the Thessalonians, write in rather unambiguous terms about the last things.  Jesus spoke in parables and John saw amazing visions, but the two Pillars of the Church broke it down quite plainly.  But remember, Jesus told us that no one knows the day or the hour of his return.  He does seem to mix prophesies about the end time with those concerning the fall of Jerusalem.  People have made a living off of trying to predict the End of the World based on the Israeli - Palestinian conflict or, back in the day, the progress of the Cold War.  It's a fools errand, so don't be duped. It's not that both views are completely wrong, but that they are by themselves incomplete and tend to lead people into erroneous views on our collective and communal destiny.

So, what's the answer?  Simply be ready.  Follow your vocation in life the best you know how.  Do your daily duties with diligence and care.  Be faithful to your commitments.  The rest will take care of itself, because in the end it's all in God's hands.  But most of all, Be Not Afraid!

And, just for a little fun, and Oldie but a Goodie by our friends at REM