Welcome to the end of the world. Well, not in reality, but in our readings for this Sunday. Although it’s super fun to say the word eschatological, which refers to the end times, I do not particularly love this theme in Scripture. We get a lot of these kinds of readings this time of year, and this time around, the end-of-the-world flavor of this Gospel passage cuts a little close to the bone. Yes, there’s always evil and destruction going on in the world, but these days violence and warfare and injustice seem particularly prevalent. Maybe the world is ending.

I don’t know how you’re feeling, but these days I sometimes feel like I’m clinging on to hope with my fingernails. I have moments when I could say to all the people doing all the bad things: You want to burn down the world? Then let it burn. But I don’t want to be like that. I cannot be apathetic about the state of things. There are people who are really hurting, and there’s still goodness in the world. I can’t not care.

So, what then? Well, as I was thinking about these readings, I remembered what I learned about eschatological literature. This kind of writing wasn’t meant to be doom and gloom. It wasn’t meant to scare people. Believe it or not, it was intended to uplift and encourage and comfort. The first Christians had their own struggles. They were dealing with persecution all around them, and they didn’t have the theological framework and history of mystics and holy people to encourage them, like we have. They were figuring it out as they went along, and they believed that Christ would come back again soon. Soon, like tomorrow. When Christ returned, he would be with them, and things would be better. End times writings let people know that, even though things were hard in the present, the future would be good. No wonder they wanted Christ to come back tomorrow.

As we know, the world did not end in the first century CE.

Here we are. Here we are with our own kind of troubles, our own kinds of persecutions around us. Maybe not all of us are affected, but some are, particularly those who identify as people of color, LGBTQ+ people, economically poor people, women, and immigrants. Persecution might be more subtle than it was for those early Christians, but it’s real. I also don’t know if our society is less violent than it was back then or not. I have an app on my phone that sends crime alerts, and several times a day now I’m getting updates about gun violence and other violent crimes. Reading the signs of the times points to the fact that things are not good. If you found out that the world really would end tomorrow, would you take comfort in that?

Honestly, I would not. However, the idea that God is with us, that good will be vindicated and bad behavior will get what it deserves, that we will see signs and wonders that let us know that the future is better – I think that is comforting. And I do believe that God is very deeply with us, that God never leaves us, even when times are so hard. God is with us in the darkness.

If suddenly the sky goes dark and there’s no moon and stars are falling from the sky, I guess that’s a clear indication that something’s going on. But I think there are some more subtle things going on that, if I look carefully, show me God’s presence. To find God in the darkness, we may need to dig a little deeper. I know I do. What are the signs of God’s presence that you notice?

The clearest sign of God’s presence for me right now is the kindness of other people. My family is dealing with a very sick loved one, and all the medical professionals and hospital staff have been so unbelievably kind that I could cry with gratitude. During dire circumstances, or even just a bad day, a little kindness can be enormously comforting.

The other sign of God’s presence is what happens in me when I reach out to other people. And I don’t mean that in some false positive sort of way like, cheer up, everyone. I mean really talking with people about how we are doing, offering a genuine space of love and compassion helps me know that God is with me. When I reach out to other people, I feel better. Pessimism and curmudgeoniness do not look good on me. When I can feel compassion for someone else, it takes my focus away from myself and directs it toward someone I care about. It helps me to shift my perspective to something bigger than myself. That means something, and that’s where I can find God’s presence.

Also, and this is something I struggle with, I try to find God in the present moment. Eschatology tells us to look ahead to better times, but I’m not sure that helps me. The future is, by its very nature, uncertain. Trusting in something that is uncertain makes me anxious, not comforted. Besides that, we don’t trust the future; we trust God. Better things probably are in store for us, and I believe it’s important to work for a more just and equitable and all-around good future, and I will keep doing that. However, I need to be in the present and seek God here. So, I will work toward a future full of hope, but I will pray in the now. 

Maybe the world is ending, but it probably isn’t. Maybe things are worse now, but they probably aren’t. Or, if things are worse, the world will likely right itself, or we will work to make things right. God offers us love and presence and care. Sometimes we have to work a little harder to notice. And I hope we do that — work to notice it — because that’s where we’ll find our solace. Our predecessors in the faith may have looked to a better future, but they found their comfort in the presence of God and the love of community. That’s where we’ll find comfort in our time too.

For Reflection:

• How are you feeling about the state of things in the world? Or the state of things in your local community or family? How are you feeling?

• What are some signs of God’s love and presence that you notice right now?

• Where are you finding hope?

• Maybe you could spend a little time with God and see what God has to say to you about all this.

by Sister Leslie Keener, CDP

Sister Leslie Keener, CDP is the director of God Space, a community-building spirituality ministry in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. She’s a Sister of Divine Providence with a Masters in Ministry and a Certificate in Spiritual Direction and Retreats from Creighton University. She directs retreats, meets with people for spiritual direction, and serves as the vocation director for her community. She enjoys music, dancing, meaningful conversations, and songs about the end of the world, written in the ‘80s, but we’re still here. I feel fine. :)