When it comes to apocalyptic Scriptural readings, we need to be very careful. The signs to usher in the Apocalypse Christ gave to His Apostles is every age, every time. War, strife, natural disasters, persecution of Christians two thousand years of humanity repeating a cycle of how it reacts when it is not in charge, is not God.

Every few months or years, there is someone that claims they are reading the signs of the times and it is the end, again that has been happening for two thousand years. Jesus is very clear that it is the Father’s to know and if we guess or try to read the signs of the times, we are wrong. Many people have lost the balance needed in faith because they convince themselves it is the end of the world as we know it.

It first requires humility to understand that the knowledge belonging to God may never be ours to understand. Jesus helps us understand His love and His expectations, but there are things that are beyond our grasp.

The next idea that we have to grapple with in these readings is whether Jesus is talking about the end of the world and the creation of a new one, or our particular deaths. Both will happen, when we read the New Testament, we can see the struggle to understand God’s timing. In fact, what is time in eternity? It seems some of the writers of the New Testament were convinced that Christ’s triumphant second coming was going to happen within their lifetimes. Will it happen in ours? Remember what I wrote a few lines ago, it is not ours to know.

So let us focus on our lifetimes, we know not the hour or second God will call us back to himself, so we need to live lives that witness to our hope. The old adage live every day like it is your last, or dance like no one is looking (assuming we are talking about dancing for the Lord like King David…. And not other kinds of less holy dancing). How does not putting off things till someday, apply to our faith? What is God placing on your heart that you are struggling to do?

God knows our hearts and minds, knows when we are avoiding something we are ready for. Think of the leap of faith in your own vocation story: how God perfectly prepared you to say your wedding vows, promise obedience at your ordination, holding your first child, taking on your first ministry role. God wants us not to waste the precious time that we have as His instruments. He will equip us if we are willing.

May the Love, Peace and Grace of God be with you,

Fr. Adam