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Rapture. Y2K. End times. Doomsday. Eschaton. Party.
So we’re approaching May 21, 2011, which is reportedly the day that we will meet our Maker. Well, I got some good news, and some bad news. The bad news is that I’m not planning any last minute party or fulfilling any bucket list items between now and tomorrow night. The good news is I’ve already met my Maker!
That’s right. I’m kinda old school when it comes to God — I believe in the incarnation of God in our history and in our world. I believe in the activity of the Holy Spirit within each of us, the Church, and the world. I believe that God is closer to me then my very next breath. While I look forward to full union with God in the hereafter, I am also quite delighted with knowing and being in relationship with God here and now. I don’t “need” the rapture to meet my Maker as I’ve known my Maker for quite some time now.
Who do we think Jesus the Christ is anyways? Do we not believe that “Christ is the image of the unseen God and the firstborn of all creation, for in Christ were created all things in heaven and on earth: everything visible and invisible” (Colossians 1:15)? And again in the Gospel of John we read Jesus’ words: “Whoever has seen me has seen Abba God. How can you say, ‘Show us your Abba’? Don’t you believe that I am in Abba God and God is in me? The words I speak are not spoken of myself; it is Abba God, living in me, who is accomplishing the works of God. Believe me that I am in God and God is in me, or else believe because of the works I do” (John 14:8-11).
I know these words of Scripture to be true because these are living words, words breathed by the Spirit at the beginning of creation, 2000 years ago during Jesus’ life on earth, and today in our midst. Every breath we take is a reminder that we not only have met our Maker, but that we are constantly in relationship with God who loves us and takes delight in us.
So while I personally am not expecting the rapture tomorrow (though if it comes before I have to clean the convent, I wouldn’t complain), I am grateful for the opportunity to think more deeply about how I am and we are in relationship with God here and now and later in the great beyond, when “God will be all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:28).
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{ 16 comments }
Love your reflection, Sr. Julie, and agree wholeheartedly. We have a few busy months ahead of us here in the communications office so I wouldn’t complain either. However, I’ve always enjoyed living and plan to go right on enjoying it!
Amen! Amen! Preach it, Sister!
Fantastic post. Of all the conversations I’ve heard about tomorrow, my favorite so far was my coworker who was afraid she was going to be turned into a raptor (as in Jurassic Park). Makes for a highly entertaining Friday. On a more serious note, I definitely agree with you!
If you’re reading this on Friday, May 20, check out Google’s take on the Apocalypse at http://www.google.com. (Sorry, but I can’t paste it here.)
Also today’s Doonsbury: http://www.doonesbury.com/
Here you go, Marg …
Thanks, SJ!
Actually, that isn’t Google’s take on the Rapture…it is the “Doodle for Google” winner. It was drawn by a 7 year old…
“Someday, Matteo Lopez of South San Francisco, Calif., wants to be an astronaut and explore space life. Today, the 7-year-old Monte Verde Elementary School student is the winner of the 2011 Doodle 4 Google competition, beating out 107,000 other submissions and gaining the majority of the 5 million votes cast to decide the best Google Doodle designer among 40 finalists.”
Even so, it speaks of apocalypse to me given the earth-eating alien and what not.
Love the reflection, and it is very true
and…if the rapture DOES happen tomorrow…it isn’t like there is anything I can do to prevent it or even to prepare for it. I love God and try to serve Him and others to the best of my ability. I fall. I get back up and try again. I will have to be judged on that regardless of when/where the Rapture/Second Coming/etc happens…
God be praised, now and always!
PS:…I just have to add this: “Jesus is coming…everyone look busy :p”
Wonderful blog today SJ and I agree completely!
Still……..The idea of, ” if you only had one day left to live, what would you do?” ,keeps coming to mind. I’ve always thought that I would just go on with what I was doing at the time, but I wonder…
Carpe Diem
I’m still here! You guys?
So far so good … though I did lose Sister Maxine for a few minutes this morning and thought maybe it was her time. But then I found her. Phew!
Still here, too.
I have to feel sorry for these followers of prophets of doom like this one? He pulled the same thing in 1994. All this did was give fodder to the comedians. (Although I have to admit, I thought the suggestion to take some of your old clothes and shows and lay them on the ground like you had been beamed right out of them was quite clever, and the suggestion to add some dry ice to the empty shoes was icing on the cake!)
Has anyone seen Camping or his family? If i were in their shoes, I think I’d try to disappear and hope people would assume they’d been raptured and all the rest of us were left to the great tribulation.
SJ, as always, a great reflection!
I was recently accepted as a “Local Voices” contributor for my local Patch e-news outlet. For my first post, I wrote “First Post, Last Day,” a reflection drawing on my father’s last holiday that considers how one might live his/her last day. It’s posted at http://lawrenceville.patch.com/blog_posts/first-post-last-day.
so the rapture didn’t come! it’s not the end of the world!