If you know me, you know how freakishly hard I try not to be "that guy." That ought to tell you something -- maybe I am! Do you know what I mean by "that guy?" That guy you don't like who always shakes his finger at fun and says, "Hold on a minute, funny is not allowed, life is way too serious for that."Pastor Harold Camping has gone viral because of his prediction of Christ's return tomorrow at 6 p.m. The words of Jesus imply that an accurate prediction about when He will return is impossible. But there is no reason to go there for now.
All the jokes that even Christians are making about this prediction may reveal more about us than we think. Predictions about "doomsday" go as far back as AD 70. Because it has yet to happen each prediction serves as a reminder to how ridiculous the whole Christian thing is. Wild doomsday claims, heaven, hell, and people raising from the dead is so unbelievable people are become increasing comfortable with their unbelief.
So, as you chuckle your way through the weekend, keep a few things in mind:
1. Leno and Letterman are not laughing with us they are laughing at us. I am not mad about this - trust me. But jokes about the prediction of the Christ's return is a symptom of our culture, not the problem. Christianity is not taken seriously. Okay, some of that is our fault, but I'm just sayin' . . .
2. You will have opportunities to have spiritual conversations with people about a relationship with Jesus. Don't act angry, be kind, and do all you can to continue the conversation. Tell your faith story. Be prepared and expectant. I think Harold Camping has done us a favor, whether we like it or not. He is forcing us out of the closet!
3. Live as if the prediction is accurate. Not just tomorrow but, how about every day for the rest of your life? For the sake of the argument, if Camping has negated the possibility that tomorrow is the day (I am not sure he has that power) what if were midnight tomorrow night. Oh, wait, now it can't be that because I just predicted it could happen then. So, what if it were Monday? Opps! Never mind. With 7 billion people on the planet few days pass without someone predicting it is the last - so don't let it cause you to ignore the possibility! Expect Him!
