"For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, and cast away himself?" Luke 9:25I know it's a bit belated, but Happy New Year! These past few months, especially since Thanksgiving, have been exhausting, stressing, trying, and rewarding. Precisely because of these difficulties, I've found myself praying more often. I've tried to shift my focus only to Jesus, and, as a result, I've discovered that I'm better equipped to resist the temptations of the Evil One. How blessed I am indeed! Even though I've been dealing with my own sin and reconciliation, life still goes on. I could mention all the mundane things happening in our lives right now, but all pale in comparison to the suffering of the thousands of men, women, and children in Haiti. It is because of them, their agony, and their deaths, that I sat down to write.
Yesterday, a very young woman, probably in her early 20s, knocked on my door. This, in and of itself, is fairly unusual. Normally, people don't knock on our door. They just walk right in. Yea, it's like that. We live in one of those kinds of neighborhoods. Our neighbors are friendly. Crime is mostly non-existent. And well, we don't have that many friends. But after our 3 year old was able to convince me someone was indeed knocking, I headed to the door with the baby on my hip. To my dismay, it was not the Publisher's Clearing House Prize Patrol. It was instead a very sweet faced, soft spoken Witness. She was amicable and, for a brief moment, I felt bad about making her stand on the porch in the cold to "witness." I've had plenty of experience with the Jehovah's Witnesses. A few of my friends in the past were Witnesses and they have all, in some form or another, attempted to convert me. I learned a long time ago that letting them inside your home, even though one is attempting to be charitable, is a really bad idea. I deal with them the only way I know how—by smiling and then closing the door. I've heard that answering the door naked works, but I'm way too old for that. I suspect, though, that had I answered the door in my birthday suit, my sweet young visitor would have been convinced all the more that I needed Jehovah.
Now I suspect each and every person has been greeted from time to time by a Jehovah's Witness. They have a pretty thorough door to door campaign which I actually admire. The people, though, are pretty annoying. Actually, it's not the people themselves, but the tactics they employ in an effort to convert those of us who are in the dark. For the unaware, these tactics seem fairly harmless. The sweet young lady who came to my door said only a few words to initiate a response. "With the recent news of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, many people are wondering if God cares about them at all." Yep, that's how she started the visit. I had been thinking about it all week. In my sleep, I could hear babies crying out for their mothers. I could hear mothers screaming in anguish over lost children. I could only imagine the horror on people's faces as the buildings they were standing in collapsed under their feet, crushing them to death. I had already spent nights praying for these poor souls, that God would have mercy and lead them to heaven. And my sweet Jehovah's Witness visitor was counting on just that reaction.
For Jehovah's Witnesses, the Apocalypse is just around the corner. In fact, they used to be in the Armageddon prediction business. I remember two times specifically as a young child and teenager hearing about Witnesses who had sold their homes and quit their jobs in anticipation of Armageddon. Catastrophic events like earthquakes, wars, famine, and poverty are just signs to them that Armageddon is that much closer. There are plenty of Christians who would agree with that. I suspect, just as my Witness visitor suggested, that plenty of people both Christian and non-Christian wonder if, in the face of all these tragedies, God cares for us at all. It's because of these very concerns and suspicions that I believe so many people are drawn to, even obsessed, with the Apocalypse and the end of times. Hollywood has caught on and keeps churning out the movies—The Road, 9, The Book of Eli, and 2012 are a handful that have been released in the last year alone. In the face of wars, natural disasters, starvation, poverty, and corrupt governments it's no wonder people across the planet are anxious. The end is always near.
The End has always been near. It would take an entire page to cite the catastrophes, floods, fires, and wars that have taken place throughout recorded history. Major civilizations have collapsed after thousands of years of prosperity. Political systems, empires, and nations all rise and fall. Entire races of people and species of animals have disappeared. There have always been plagues, pestilence, and disease infecting and destroying huge populations of people. And just as surely as all these things were happening, there have always been people trying to explain them, understand them, and cope with them. Some people, like the Jehovah's Witnesses, have also attempted to exploit them. But Jesus addressed catastrophes. He talked to great multitudes about the end times and he revealed to the disciples the Truth about such things. He told them, and they passed along to us, that this world will surely pass away but that our salvation is in Jesus Christ the Lord; our real reward is in Heaven.
The revelation of Jesus Christ, or the Apocalypse, has been the source of great anxiety, superstition, and lies. Jesus warned us about this in the Gospel according to St. Luke. He said that men will be "withering away for fear, and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world." As I look around in our society, our political institutions, our schools, and even our churches this attitude seems pervasive. It seems our culture's interest has become particularly heightened in the last few decades. Save Our Earth has become the contemporary mantra. There is no shortage of plans to curb population growth, stave off global warming, protect endangered species, and end the nuclear age. We're fighting wars on terrorism, drugs, poverty, and AIDS. Many people, including plenty of Christians, are preoccupied with this world, fearful of its destruction, and downright angry that it's happening in the first place. They've elevated the world and the things in it above our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The world is their idol. They are looking for salvation in their own achievements, their own finances, and their own wisdom. They are lost and the Devil is delighted.
The world is going to end. Big deal. No one knows when that time will be. No matter how many predictions are made or how many clever ways humans calculate time, nothing changes the fact that only God knows when the last day will be. I imagine most people will face their own personal end long before the world explodes. It's that realization that concerns me a great deal. Although I hope to be a centenarian one day, I cannot be certain that I won't get hit by a car tomorrow, develop cancer, or get crushed in a building during an earthquake. And that's why this whole sad business in Haiti and the Jehovah's Witness bothers me. For almost 2 weeks now, I've prayed for the poor souls of those who have died. I've often wondered what they were doing in those last minutes. Was some mother yelling at her children? Was some young boy grabbing a sweet potato from a neighbor's garden? Was a young unmarried girl slipping off for a romp with her boyfriend? Was grandma praying the Rosary? Was a grown man helping his aged father get dressed for the day? Were their children singing to their younger siblings? Had everyone been to confession that morning? Was anyone pleading with God to save them and give them one more chance to be better and do more for others? I have often imagined that those people are me, taken by surprise that the end is sooner than I planned. Am I ready? Will I be like the thief hanging on Jesus' left, resentful of my temporal punishments, longing for the pleasure of this world, pleading with Christ to "save me" from death? Or will I be like the thief hanging with Jesus on his right, publicly acknowledging my sins, embracing my suffering and trials, and humbly asking for Christ to remember me in His Kingdom?
As I closed the door behind my young Jehovah's Witness visitor, I felt sad. In her current state, anticipating a future living on this earth, denying the existence of an immortal soul, this young girl will probably never be with Christ in Heaven. I prayed that, before she dies, she will find the Truth. I prayed that I will learn how to replace my fear of man with the fear of God. I prayed that I will learn how to love, live, act, and speak the Truth without fearing criticism, ridicule, and scorn from other people. I prayed that I, in my sinfulness, will always remember the Lord and his Truth so that on the last day He will remember me.
"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. And take heed to yourselves, lest perhaps your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly. For as a snare shall it come upon all that sit upon the face of the whole earth. Watch ye, therefore, praying at all times, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that are to come, and to stand before the Son of man." Luke 21:33-36
O My Jesus, forgive us our sins; save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy Mercy. Amen
