The End of the World As We Know It...I Feel Fine

Doomsday (noun) 1. the day on which the Last Judgment will occur; any day of reckoning; characterized by predictions of disaster --World English Dictionary

Eleven days and counting until the end of the world, Friday, December 21^st—or at least that’s the rumor.  If you’re one of the six people in Creation who actually haven’t heard by now, there are tales swirling around the entire globe that the world and all there is within it will cease to exist a week from next Friday.  I guess I should be scared, right?

Because what better authority to trust than a 7,000 year old stone calendar created by the Mayans of ancient Central and South America?  For whatever reason, the calendar ends on the 21^st and so many folks around the world see this abrupt numerical cut off as clear and incontrovertible evidence that the end is near. (My theory is that the calendar maker took a coffee break and forgot to come back.)

I suppose I could be petrified, getting ready for the last day of my existence, you know picking up the house, making sure the iron is turned off, packing a suitcase but then I wonder. What does one pack for Armageddon?  Fleece I’ll bet—you never know what the weather might be like.

But thank goodness the United States government, on its USA.gov blog, has weighed in with its opinion on this cataclysm.  (Who knew Uncle Sam blogged?)  Under the oh so odd headline “Scary Rumors About the World Ending in 2012 Are Just Rumors” we learn: “False rumors about the end of the world in 2012 have been commonplace on the Internet for some time. Many of these rumors involve the Mayan calendar ending in 2012 (it won’t), a comet causing catastrophic effects (definitely not), a hidden planet sneaking up and colliding with us (no and no), and many others. The world will not end on December 21, 2012, or any day in 2012.”

Well I think that’s a relief, though I really wish I hadn’t learned that there are also rumors about a rogue planet or crazy comet crashing right into the earth too.  According to the blog, NASA has received thousands of letters from concerned citizens complaining about the whole planetary mash up thing too. 

Thank goodness the feds are all over these apocalyptic scenarios.  For if any one power can save us from the end of the world, it is…the federal government?  Wait. These are the same folks who are about to drive us over the other impending doomsday, THE FISCAL CLIFF.  So even if the world doesn’t cease to be on the 21^st on the 31^st the world will end for United States taxpayers! 

On that bleak day, the rivers will run red with blood, and the skies will rain down frogs and folks will drop to their knees and look to the heavens in dread and despair because come New Year’s Day we will careen over THE FISCAL CLIFF! Taxes will rise!  AAAAHHHHH!

But take heart America.  We can trust in the mature leadership of those we have elected to steer us clear of THE FISCAL CLIFF….OK. Maybe not.  But it is fun to type FISCAL CLIFF in all caps.  My advice? Open a bottle of champagne and get in touch with your CPA.

The real truth is that when it comes to the end of the world, whether it be mystically Mayan, or fiscally federal, or comets crashing, there is finally not much we humans can do about it, except one thing.  We can choose to not be afraid, not give into fear. That life attitude is not always easy.

Fear has become big business in our world: in the media, among our leaders and seemingly everywhere.  Fear leads the 11 o’clock news. Fear saturates the Internet. Fear always tries its best to get us to live less than full and abundant lives.  Fear finally tricks us into not having faith in anyone or anything, save the worst case scenario. That’s no way to live.

So up until and right through the 21^st and the 31^st I’m keeping the faith, in spite of all the fearful rumors and predictions.  Faith in a God who works through everything for the good. Faith in a battered world that always seems to be able to get through to the other side of whatever challenges humankind faces.  Faith in the promise of tomorrow and the miracle of life, just today. 

In the words of that great theologian Bob Marley, “Don’t worry ‘bout a thing, ‘cuz every little things gonna be alright.”  Here’s looking forward to the 22^nd.