Preparing For The Comet
Stories
Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit
Series IV Cycle C
Ever tried your hand at writing a novel? Have you nurtured in the back of your mind that you might have a break-through smash hit and become an overnight sensation like the Liverpool welfare mom and single parent, whatshername? Rowling? Yeah, J. K. Rowling and her cute little books about a boy who goes to magic school.
Pastor, writer, and conference speaker Tim LaHaye and his co-author Jerry Jenkins are arguably the most successful writers in the publishing world over the past five years. Their books in the "Left Behind" series have sold over 50 million copies. Forget Harry Potter, Rowling, or Tolkien. These books describe the process by which God will someday ring down the curtain on the current version of history. They have everything, including espionage, murder, action, heroes, and temptation. You can find paperback versions of the novels in the series at airport snack shops, the grocery store, and the mall.
In some circles it is fashionable to poke fun at the idea of the second coming of Christ as LaHaye and Jenkins describe it. And, to be honest, they probably don't have the details all right. This is fiction, after all, even if it is based loosely on biblical accounts of the end of the world.
But before we dismiss such apocalypticism out of hand, let's not forget that "end-of-the-world" scenarios are hot in the popular culture as well. The television miniseries, Asteroid, for example, and the movies Armageddon and Deep Impact are about planet-ending scenarios. In one case, an enormous rock is headed on a collision course with Earth, but, thanks to the efforts of a brave team of space cowboys led by Bruce Willis, disaster is narrowly avoided and the Earth is saved.
Far-fetched? Not at all, according to Chris Chyba who says that the worst catastrophe ever experienced by the Earth was when it was hit by a comet 250 million years ago. He thinks that Earth might be ripe for another such encounter, arguing that these things likely occur every 100 million years or so.
Humans have only a finite period of time in which to come up with a plan to avoid the threat of impact.
All well and good. But, frankly, I can't do too much about a comet that may or may not be headed my way. Earthquakes, famines, pestilence, and signs in the sky -- it's more than I can get ready for, except to say that, as far as I know, God and I are still on good speaking terms.
I'm more concerned, however, about the "comets" that come flashing through my life, knocking me off my feet, upsetting my equilibrium, rearranging all my plans. These are the kind of comets I wish I could see coming so that, if I am not able to stop them, I could at least duck.
Pastor, writer, and conference speaker Tim LaHaye and his co-author Jerry Jenkins are arguably the most successful writers in the publishing world over the past five years. Their books in the "Left Behind" series have sold over 50 million copies. Forget Harry Potter, Rowling, or Tolkien. These books describe the process by which God will someday ring down the curtain on the current version of history. They have everything, including espionage, murder, action, heroes, and temptation. You can find paperback versions of the novels in the series at airport snack shops, the grocery store, and the mall.
In some circles it is fashionable to poke fun at the idea of the second coming of Christ as LaHaye and Jenkins describe it. And, to be honest, they probably don't have the details all right. This is fiction, after all, even if it is based loosely on biblical accounts of the end of the world.
But before we dismiss such apocalypticism out of hand, let's not forget that "end-of-the-world" scenarios are hot in the popular culture as well. The television miniseries, Asteroid, for example, and the movies Armageddon and Deep Impact are about planet-ending scenarios. In one case, an enormous rock is headed on a collision course with Earth, but, thanks to the efforts of a brave team of space cowboys led by Bruce Willis, disaster is narrowly avoided and the Earth is saved.
Far-fetched? Not at all, according to Chris Chyba who says that the worst catastrophe ever experienced by the Earth was when it was hit by a comet 250 million years ago. He thinks that Earth might be ripe for another such encounter, arguing that these things likely occur every 100 million years or so.
Humans have only a finite period of time in which to come up with a plan to avoid the threat of impact.
All well and good. But, frankly, I can't do too much about a comet that may or may not be headed my way. Earthquakes, famines, pestilence, and signs in the sky -- it's more than I can get ready for, except to say that, as far as I know, God and I are still on good speaking terms.
I'm more concerned, however, about the "comets" that come flashing through my life, knocking me off my feet, upsetting my equilibrium, rearranging all my plans. These are the kind of comets I wish I could see coming so that, if I am not able to stop them, I could at least duck.
