You'll hate us 'cause we'll never go away
And like some sort of fungus, we're growing every day
Our knuckles are dragging, I guess that means to say
Our message isn't stopping, till you drag us all away- Steins Theme, Project 86
Well, it's almost over. 2008 will go down in history as one of the worst years in existence. And you know what? I saw it coming. Well, not any specific events. It was more of a sense of extreme New years uncertainty, somewhat like Y2K. You all remember Y2K, don't you?
The difference here though is that Y2K was a buildup of fearful expectation BEFORE the New Year, and it was something that was a known quantity. When I awoke on New Years day 2008 (or maybe in the couple days following...I really need to get better at keeping track of things), I just had this looming sense of dreadful anticipation about the year. Of course, I found out I wasn't the only one at the first service of the year at Waters Edge church. The guy who spoke talked about having many of the same dubieties (this word has been brought to you by dictionary.com) that I had, and that he had talked to others with the same types of feelings! Whoa!
Now let me be clear, that I am not trying to equate myself as any sort of prophet or anything like that. I do fancy myself as someone who can read the writing on the wall, but I'm not a prognosticator, I'm not a fortune teller. I'm no Nostradamus, although I might be more handsome than he was...
Well, the jury is out on that, although his beard obviously puts mine to shame. But still, I'm just plain old me. And while I had nothing to go on but vague suspicions, you can imagine my surprise (and at times horror) when things played out according to my unclear hunch.
Floods in Iowa, a cyclone in Myanmar, earthquake in China. Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, Georgia and Russia in conflict. There were lighter calamaties as well- the Detroit Lions flirting with 0-16, Michigan football having their worst season in U-M history, the Tigers choke job. Back to serious reality, gas prices climbing to over $4 a gallon as the stock market was busy throwing our economy into Depressionesque territory. And it even carried through the holidays, with the Thanksgiving Mumbai terrorist attack, and December Israeli airstrikes. There was also a guy who dressed up as Santa and killed 9 people on Christmas eve.
Is this Doomsday? Man I hope not! I've got 2 little kids, and the prospect of Revelation unveiled in our time is not one that I want to think about, you know? But you can't just ignore the Time Signs either. It's obvious that things are happening in our world, reminding us that we are never truly in control. But God is. Now now, I'm not trying to scare anyone into believing what I believe, because it isn't fair to God and it isn't fair to us as beings of free will. I'm just saying that there is a source of hope for any who have been plagued by the evils of the current global climate. And besides, Jesus offers way more than just heaven.
Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you'll live... at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin' to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take... OUR FREEDOM!- William Wallace, Braveheart
Even though I wrestle with fear about the state of our world, I take comfort in seeing confirmation of my faith begin to play out in these dark times, knowing that there is hope despite what the evidence says. Christmas and Easter culminate, and Jesus bringing freedom to us no matter what is going on around us. That's real. That's life. We now return you to your regulary scheduled awesome blog.
So is the world going to end? Are things coming to a head? Is 2008 a Horseman of the Apocalypse? I don't know. Maybe yes. Maybe no. Maybe things will get better. If that happens, I'll be more than happy to eat humble pie. Just be sure that you watch the skies, because it is of upmost importance that we can read the signs of the seasons.
Right now, a line is being drawn in the sand. All of our 'tolerance' and ambiguity have served as a fulcrum of modern culture, leading to a point of no return. We've lived in a morally ambivilent world for far too long, and postmodern relativism has sunk its ugly talons into our backs. We live in a society that praises the concept of all is right UNLESS someone has the balls to proclaim a sense of absolute right. Then they are shunned, mocked, scorned, hated. And I take comfort in the drawing of black lines, because light will always defeat darkness, and good triumphs over evil in the end, even when it does not appear to be so.
Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me- Matthew 24:9 (NIV)
Look, I'm not too proud to say that I don't have all the answers. I just don't. But I believe in a God that does. Life is never going to go 'according to plan'...
There is a God, though, that can sort out the chaos and see us through whatever 2009 and beyond is going to bring.
I'd like to wish you all a safe, happy 2009, and blessings on you all!
Y2K pic- www.dabbledoo.com/ee/images/uploads/gamertell/y2k_bomb_thumb.jpg
Nostradamus pic- www.elmonasterio.org/escritos/wp-content/uploads/Nostradamus.JPG
Joker- www.blog.djcream.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/wallpaper_heath_ledger_the_joker_1.jpg
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