Well, once again we are at the End Of Days. And just like every other time, and there have been many other times throughout history, we will get up tomorrow and slog forward as we wait for the next best guess as to when the world will end. And there will be more guesses, more goofy calculations made from vague biblical dates and questionable interpretations of scripture telling us to prepare for the Rapture. And there will always be a willing audience listening and hoping that this will be the real thing.
I never really understood why some folks were so eager for this event, how they could be so sure of their own righteousness. I always had the feeling that if there really was a rapture and the righteous among us were somehow sucked upward to meet Jesus in the heavens above, or whatever these people believe, that there would be a lot of very disappointed people running around, screaming that a mistake had been made, that they had somehow been missed.
I would not be one of them. I have no illusions. When the world is transformed into a lake of fire or whatever the hell they claim the world will become, I fully expect to be here. Oh, I won’t be happy about it– I really can’t take the heat– but I will stick it out. That’s the human urge and besides, I have things to do.
I’ve always felt more inclined to be in the school of thought that believes that the world will end not with a bang but with a whimper. Maybe the end has already started, been advancing upon us for hundreds of years and we just can’t see its progress. Oh, well…
Here’s a song, Skeeter Davis’ 1960’s hit, The End of the World. In my memory of it, I always thought this was a better song but after seeing this version, I find myself ready for the world to end. Surely that hairdo is one of the signs of the apocalypse! See you tomorrow. Hopefully.
Redtree Times 
I really got interested in these folks – the followers more than the leaders – when I read Leon Festinger, et al’s When Prophecy Fails, a study of a UFO cult that didn’t quite make it to the planet Clarion.
Sometimes there’s not quite so much distance between us and the more obvious loonies as we think. For example: we’ve gone wthout rain now for three months. Maybe four. (I can’t bring myself to actually look it up.) It’s pretty bad.
Last week we had rain in our forecast. Everyone hung on the words of the forecast like it was holy scripture. We watched the radar and saw the rain blow up, form a line and head straight for us. When it got here, not a drop. It dissipated, and then re-formed over east Texas and Louisiana.
There were a whole lot of people who were depressed, angry, and despondent. There were people who felt betrayed. (BUT THEY TOLD US we were going to get rain!) Some of us felt like we might have a better chance at getting to Clarion than getting rain.
It’s a little thing, but rain and rapture’s been a interesting pair this past week. Now, if we ever get rain – that’s when the rapture will come!
Wow, that is really interesting, especially how they immediately adapted to the non-ending of the world and began rationalizing. Thanks!
Hope your rain is coming. We’ve been getting drenched here for quite some time and would gladly send you some.