It’s the end.
Again.
Five months ago the world waited with baited breath (not really) to see if Harold Camping’s prediction of the end of the world would come true. The world didn’t end and Camping defended his prediction by saying that a spiritual judgment occurred on May 21 and the world’s final judgment and ultimate destruction would take place on October 21.
Today is October 21.
To be fair, I’m writing this blog post on October 20. I have no idea if the world will or won’t end on October 21. I’m going to assume that it won’t and continue writing this post. If the world does end on October 21, then I’ll have written this post in vain.
In vain or not, here are five things I would have missed and five things I wouldn’t have missed had the world ended five months ago.
I Would Have Missed
- X-Men: First Class and Captain America: Two of my favorite movies this summer involved Marvel’s first team of mutants and its first Avenger. I thoroughly enjoyed both movies and really would have missed them. Had the rapture occurred I would have found a movie theater in heaven.
- Summer Camp: We took our high school group to summer camp at the end of June and it was one of the best weeks of the year. The students had great attitudes all week and it was awesome to see God working in their lives. Even when they dressed as nerds, I still enjoyed being with them.
- Honduras: I spent 10 days in Honduras over the summer. I hadn’t been on a missions trip for quite some time and I really enjoyed the cross-cultural experience. Nerds aren’t great with physical labor, but I made my best effort. Through my best effort, coupled with the best efforts of others and the grace of the Holy Spirit, we built a church.
- My 30th Birthday: I haven’t had a lot of birthday parties for myself but I did throw one to celebrate my three decades. It was a great time to hang out with my friends and family. Those at the party showed how well they know me by getting me Star Wars cards, Death Star t-shirts and Chick-fil-A gift cards. Sadly, all the gift cards have been used.
- Las Vegas: I spent a weekend in Las Vegas celebrating my best friend’s bachelor party. I had a great time but it was one of those moments when I wished I was a bigger nerd. An encyclopedic knowledge of Star Trek: The Next Generation is great, but the ability to count cards would be much more useful and profitable.
I Wouldn’t Have Missed
- The Green Lantern: I really wanted to like The Green Lantern. I didn’t know that much about the character but I really like Ryan Reynolds. My desire to like The Green Lantern, though, wasn’t able to make it a better movie. I don’t think the world ending would have been better than seeing The Green Lantern, but I wouldn’t have been trying to find a movie theater in heaven for it.
- The Heat: Nothing helped me live up to the sweaty nerd stereotype than the scorching heat this summer. Most weeks this summer were pretty mild, but there were five or six that were almost unbearable. The summer was a little too much Human Torch when I wanted a little more Iceman.
- The Cubs: Back on May 21, the Cubs still looked like they had a chance this season. They hadn’t won more than two games in a row (a feat they didn’t accomplish until the end of July) but all hope hadn’t yet been lost. The summer wasn’t kind to the Cubs and if the world had ended in May I would have at least missed another losing season for my lovable losers.
- iPhone 4S: Even though I think the iPhone 4S might be ushering in the end of the world, I still really want one. I got a chance to play with my coworker’s iPhone 4S the other day and I immediately violated the 10th commandment. Had the world ended five months ago, I would have happily entered eternity knowing my iPhone 4 had been the greatest phone ever.
- NFL/NBA Lockouts: It’s not very nerdy to like sports, but I can’t help it. I’m really good at obsessing over Star Wars and video games. I’m equally good at obsessing over yards per catch and free throw percentage. Nothing really came from the NFL lockout and it looks like the NBA lockout is going to drag on. Five months without any lockout talk doesn’t seem too bad at this point.
If you’re reading this, then there’s a good chance the world hasn’t ended. Even though it’s just a crackpot prediction, it does afford us the opportunity to appreciate the last five months.
The reality is no one knows when the world is going to end. That lack of knowledge should give us a sense of urgency as we bear God’s kingdom to the world around us.
What would you have missed over the last five months?
I am still here! And that Guy is a nut! Only the father knows the day and the hour not even the son. So if God won’t even tell his son when the world will end why would he tell that nut!