People are always predicting the end of the world. They’ve been doing it for thousands of years. So why is May 21, 2011 getting so much attention?
I hesitate to write about it, because I’m really tired of hearing about it. But I think in the midst of the hype, lunacy, and Schadenfreude, there’s a glimmer of an important message. Not about sin or judgement day, but about life.
It’s tempting to laugh at the people who are worked up about it, especially the head kook. What about the part in the Bible where Jesus says even he doesn’t know when he’s coming back? If Jesus doesn’t know, how does Howard Camping?
His answer boils down to “I did the math.” Wow, I bet Jesus feels really stupid for not thinking of that!
A lot of people are also laughing at the people who believe. These are ordinary people with ordinary problems, hiring people to take care of their pets from this evening on, quitting their jobs and pulling their kids out of school to go distribute tracts in New York City, or cashing in their 401(k)s and donating all the money to charity, in the full belief that they’ll be gone by tomorrow.
Personally, although the mean side of me wants to laugh, my main reaction is envy. I don’t envy how crushed they’re going to be when we’re all still here tomorrow and the world goes on as it has, and I certainly don’t envy the way many of them have screwed themselves financially. But I do envy the strength of their faith. I’m hardly certain what I had for breakfast this morning, let alone whether God exists or what his schedule is.
I don’t admire the believers’ lack of critical thinking, but I do admire them for acting on their beliefs and making the most of their short time remaining.
That’s what we should all take out of this. The world is unlikely to end today, and probably not tomorrow, either. But for each of us, life will end, and it will almost certainly be before we’ve finished everything we wanted to do here.
How to seize the day?
The problem is it’s impractical to live as if each day was your last. As these folks have demonstrated, if you really believed today was your last day on earth, you wouldn’t save for retirement or pay your mortgage. You wouldn’t go to work, or at least, I certainly wouldn’t. No need to get the oil changed, scrub the bathtub, or even wash the dishes. You probably wouldn’t go to school, either. Learning is hard. If you’re not going to be around to use the knowledge, why bother?
You might as well eat all the ice cream you want–your butt is not going to be around to be the fatter for it.
Why write, or plant trees, or build anything? Why learn, or grow, or stretch your comfort zone?
The only reason to do these things on your last day is love: love for the activities, love for those to come after you, love for yourself. When there’s only one day left, everything is reduced to the essentials.
Love is also the reason to do things any day. Whether this is Day 16,579, Day 1,268, or Day 0, I hope you’ll make time for the things that are most important to you. Invest in the future, certainly, but don’t forget to live now.
Maybe the reason this particular doomsday prophesy has gotten so much attention is that so many people are dissatisfied with our lives. What if it all ended tomorrow–what would I do? Would I be scared, sad, happy?
It’s easy to sleepwalk through life, working for the weekend, shutting off your brain during meetings, dragging yourself from one obligation to another. If there’s anything to gain from this craze, it’s yet another reminder not to do that.
Interesting that you threw “plant a tree” in there, because one of my favorite Martin Luther quotes was that if he knew that that the world would end tomorrow, he would plant a tree. It’s a beautiful image of the enduring hope for tomorrow and an acknowledgment that the Earth will be here long after we are gone.
Nice assessment of people’s faith and beliefs…it is something to admire, especially when it’s so far removed from anything I could believe myself. Another great post, my friend!
Thanks, Jess! There’s an old Jewish saying, “If you are planting a tree and you hear that Messiah has come, finish planting the tree, then go and inquire.” That’s what I had in the back of my mind, and that’s probably what Martin Luther was referring to also.
Interesting post. As Benjamin Franklin is credited with saying “The only two certainties in life are death and taxes.”
I wonder how many of the things we strive to fit into a day will be things that come the end of our lives – whenever that may be – we will look back upon and be proud to have achieved etc.
Good point! It’s important to think about now, while we still (hopefully!) have time to do something about it.