One of the trends in modern cinema has been the disaster movie and the most common genre of late has been the apocalyptic movie: Films that chronicle the end of the world.
What is interesting about movies of this kind is that, more often than not, the movies haven’t been about God bringing the world to an end, the culprit has been other forces: aliens, global warming, and terrorists have been at the heart of most of these game-ending scenarios.
What does this tell us about our spiritual needs?
One, we live in stories — narratives shape our lives. Some of those stories are private narratives, lived out on a smaller scale, but others are all-encompassing stories within which our private stories find meaning.
Two, the larger stories are indispensable. It is only in telling our stories in that larger context that we find meaning and significance.
Three, the way the story ends tells us something about the whole of the story: where we are all going, what is important to us (or should be), why we live the way we do.
Tim LaHaye’s Left Behind version of apocalypse has taken a beating from secular thinkers and from Scripture scholars who (rightly!) criticize his interpretation of the Book of Revelation. But that doesn’t get us away form wanting to know how it all ends as a key how to live in the meantime.
At its simplest, Christian theology has always held that the end is not a what, but a Who. It is that conviction that can guide us all, regardless of what happens in the meantime.
Fred, as always, you are very wise. Thank you for sharing truth with us daily. I feel quite blessed to be part of this group receiving your tremendous gifts of wisdom, knowledge and love.
Today is one of the most precious times of all although each of your contributions are priceless.
The future is not a what but a Who. How simply wrote but complete. It always bothers me that scholars get so involved in communicating details of location, time, etc. I know these events are important but felt something was lacking in this approach.
Now – you have completely nailed it down for us. Not a when, but a Who. Oh! how I love this statement and wish all the world could hear: “not a when, but a Who!”