Monday, July 5, 2010

A Special Note to Followers of Harold Camping

AND ALL WHO BELIEVE THAT THE WORLD WILL END IN 2011

Don't even bother replying to my blog. I will not publish your comments. I have given Harold Camping's apocalyptic worldview more than enough publicity. Anyone who wants to know more about it can follow the links in my previous post. There is plenty of information there.

I am not interested in debating you. You will not convince me that your belief is true. I am sure that I will not convince you that your belief is based upon false premises. May 22, 2011 will tell the tale. It is not that far off. We will all just have to wait a little while.

I am a Lutheran. I believe that I am made right with God by grace through faith. I do not fear death. I do not concern myself with the date of the end of the world as we know it. I trust that God is in charge of these things. I am not interested in escapism. Grateful for God's gift of grace, I try to spend my life serving God and doing some small good in this world.

Martin Luther, when asked what he would do if he knew the world were going to end tomorrow answered that he would plant an apple tree. This seems to me a healthy attitude.

Rev. Chuck Currie, in the comments to this post on his blog has said:

Anyone who has made a comment here claiming the world will end May 21, 2011 and is still alive on May 22, 2011 is hereby required to make a $2011 contribution to Church World Service.

http://www.churchworldservice.org/site/PageServer?pagename=how_donate

Start saving.

I like that idea. Let me build on it just a little.

If you believe now that the rapture will occur on May 21, 2011, and wake up disappointed on May 22, do not despair. Instead, give up idle speculations about the end times. Then reach out to feed the hungry, visit the sick and imprisoned, clothe the naked...you know...all that stuff Jesus talked about in Matthew 25. Or maybe just plant an apple tree.

AND NOW TO EVERYONE ELSE:

The point of my previous post was that we are all well served by an attitude of humility and perhaps even skepticism regarding our interpretation of Scripture. I have learned in this life that when we think we have everything figured out just right, God usually has a surprise in store. I will return to this theme.

God bless!

2 comments:

  1. You won't see any money. The whole idea is to make money not give it away.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Harold Camping is a false prophet. All of His teachings are warped imaginations of how He sees the bible. It's sad how people can't see that Camping is the origin of all this lies. I really wonder How many people who claim to study the bible have eaten up his fantasy.
    What purpose do these False prophets serve? They make Christians look crazy. They make people stop believing in Christ's return Matt 24. & Rev. 22:20.
    The Devil is a liar!!

    ReplyDelete