Scrolling through Netflix recently these are some of the movie titles I saw. The Hunger games, Zombieland, World War Z, I Am Legend, 2012, Pandemic, Alien Arrival. What do all these films have in common? They all have something to do with the end of the world as we know it and what will happen afterwards. The popularity of these apocalyptic and post apocalyptic movies is at an all-time high. Zombies, asteroids, viruses, aliens, nuclear destruction. There seems to be no end to what threatens our existence and captures our imagination. However, interest in the apocalypse is not a modern phenomenon. Netflix only presents us with the latest theories about what could presumably bring about the end. Such thinking has been around for millennia. In fact, the book of Genesis contains an ancient biblical account of an apocalypse in the story of Noah’s ark. Genesis 6-9 tells the well-known story of a flood which covers the earth and threatens the survival of the human race. However, biblical visions of an apocalypse don’t stop there. A number of the prophetic books also contain apocalyptic visions of impending doom and destruction. And it was no different during Jesus time. In fact, the entire 13th chapter of Mark tells us that Jesus’ disciples dabbled in apocalyptic thought as well. Take a few minutes reading the chapter and you’ll read of wars, famine, earthquakes and destruction. What should we make of all this apocalyptic thought? Well, Jesus words to his disciples may be able to give us some perspective and provide some wisdom for us as well. In Mark 13 Jesus says “but concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the son, only the Father.” A clear call to them not to spend their days worrying about such matters. And then in light of this fact what you see Jesus saying to his disciples is for them to stop living in fear of impending doom; to stop living full of anxiety and despair. Rather he calls them to stay strong in the midst of all these things because in the end God would be victorious over all, including the viruses and the violence; the dictators and the diseases; the floods and the famines; the aliens and the asteroids and perhaps even more relevant to our lives, God will also be victorious over our disabilities and our disappointments, our fears and our failures. Rather than living with dread over what may befall us or praying for the end to all the things that present our lives with pain and suffering; rather than wishing for an end to the bad or prophesying the demise of this world’s evil Mark 13 calls us to faithfulness and endurance amidst it all. To “stay awake” and to stay strong even when the world around us seems to be coming apart at the seams. And through it all to trust that our God will provide, even when the flood waters rise and the evil around us seems to be gaining a foothold. From the very first apocalypse in Genesis to Jesus words in Mark what we learn is that in the end, God wins. That he will bring rainbows out of the rain. So, while we cannot predict an end to whatever ails our world or our lives, we can be mindful of Jesus words that encourage us to stay awake, stay strong and look for rainbows in the midst of even the most apocalyptic of storms in our lives.
