Harold Camping and Being Ready for God's New Day

Today's Washington Post contained an obituary for Harold Camping. If the name doesn't ring a bell, he was a radio evangelist who caused quite a stir in 2011 with his predictions of the world's end. His radio company spent millions advertising the event, buying ads on 5000 billboards around the country. Add in the all the free advertising he got via the new media and on the internet, and his predictions likely created a bigger stir than any before. Many of his followers reportedly sold their homes and gave Camping's ministry the proceeds to help publicize the impending judgment day.

It's rather striking that Mr. Camping's obituary (he died on Sunday) appeared on the day when the gospel reading speaks of the end times. I assume that Camping had read these words spoken by Jesus, but he apparently had some reason for ignoring them. "But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

Quite understandably, we humans prefer to have advance notice for big events. We like to make plans and prepare. Right now we are in the midst of the season that likely includes more planning and preparation than any other. Whether it's the religious or the secular observance of Christmas (or the hybrid many of us do), there is a flurry of activity this time of year. I suspect more energy goes into Christmas preparations than any other event at church, many homes, or the malls. Of course we know the exact date when all this culminates. There is no mystery about that at all.

But Jesus insists there will be no time for elaborate preparations when God's new day arrives in full. It will be impossible to miss, but until then folks will be engaged in normal, day to day activity. Therefore we have to remain at the ready.

Very often this gets interpreted to mean some sort of religious hyper-vigilance, but I do not thing that at all what Jesus means. If you continue reading beyond today's verses, Jesus continues to teach, but our tendency to chop up scripture into small bit for easier preaching and teaching often obscures the connection to what comes before and/or after. Today's reading is part of a single teaching that takes up all of Mathew 24 and 25. That means that Jesus finishes his teachings on being wide awake and ready with parables about boldly using our gifts for God's purposes, and about how caring for people in need is the same as ministering directly to Jesus.

In other words, being alert and ready has nothing to do with staring off at heaven, eagerly anticipating Jesus' return. Instead it is about living lives of faithful discipleship, risking ourselves for the sake Jesus' work, and seeing those in need as thought they were Jesus himself. "Be about this work I have given you," Jesus says, "and you will be ready."

That seems so mundane. Do your job; do your duty; share the gospel in word and deed. Shouldn't there be a big festival? Shouldn't we plan a cantata and a big party? But apparently God's new day will come without much more hoopla than when Jesus first arrived.

Do you job; be disciples; love God and love neighbor; bring good news to the poor; pray for your enemies; minister to "the least of these." Something to remember and guide us when all the Christmas hoopla is over.

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