Escatology in Ozarklandia

Escatology is a big word for the study of the "end times".

One of my favorite books is "88 Reasons Jesus is Coming in 1988." I keep a copy in my library to remind me of the Scripture that says : "No one knows the time of His return." Either the author was wrong or oops! we missed it. Come to think of it I have not heard much from that author lately, and perhaps that explains why the world is such a mess. Maybe there was a rapture and HarleyDad got left behind. To some of you, that would not necessarily be altogether surprising.

But on the other hand if everyone got raptured out (caught up to heaven when Christ returns) in 1988 why is Tim LaHay still writing books like "Left Behind" and didn't Someone forget to take Billy Graham. How embarassing for everybody !! So my conclusion is that the author of "88 Reasons" must have got it wrong. Perhaps the sequel to the book might have been named "1 Reason Jesus did Not Come in 1988." The Book could have had one page that said: "He chose not to." But then one page books do not sell very well. People tend to think that they have been ripped off. However my one page book would have had more truth in it than the "88 Reasons" book.

Escatology in Ozarklandia is very interesting. I saw a Newspaper Ad in the Branson Paper last weekend advertizing an "End Times Seminar" in one of the local churches. The caption was the following:

JESUS RETURNS-- FEBRUARY 26-28
Brother Smith Speaking
Music by A Chosen Few

That reminds me of a joke. There is good news and bad news about the "end times". The Good news is that Jesus is returning. The bad news is that it is to Salt Lake City. (My Mormon friends seem to like this joke for some reason.)

Well, to say the least the caption in the Branson paper was eye catching. Go to the seminar, buy a book or two on the end-times, and you can even get a bumper sticker that says : "If the rapture occurs, this car will be unmanned." I presume the sticker must be for infidels due to the fact that if a Christian is driving in the car following, it would be unmanned as well.

I get nervous everytime I go to Wal-Mart (and where else would someone go in Ozarklandia). I drive in and see bunches of those cars with bumper stickers and break out into a cold sweat wondering if some how I got left behind with all those unmanned and unwomaned cars. Then suddenly I think back to my book on "88 Reasons" and find myself strangely comforted.

I love people and I love human nature. It is so human. It is so like me. I think those people with the bumper stickers and writing books on "88 Reasons" are NOT out there doing evil. I think that they are good, honest, upright people trying to do what is right. They are trying to "discern the signs of the times" and there are many signs that say things are not good. They are hoping that Christ will come and save us from ourselves.

They are watching, waiting and hoping. That is a good thing. Jesus taught a bunch of stories about being ready regardless of the time of day or night. We need to lead lives that are always ready to give account . We need to live responsibly knowing that there is some type of ultimate accountability to God and to our fellow man.

We need to live knowing that we are very human, far from perfect and this is why there is grace. And that includes grace enough to forgive us when we make mistakes -even escatological mistakes which, by and large, are pretty minor when compared to the major mistakes we make in life.

HarleyDad