You’d have to be living under a polar ice cap to miss the news. Predictions of the Rapture and tales of Doomsday dominated headlines all around the world yesterday and for weeks preceding.
I don’t personally know a single individual who believed the hype about the end of the world though I enjoyed some friendly banter with Christian friends as we teased one another about being left behind… “Will you take care of my dog when I’m gone?”… “Will you sing at my memorial service?”… “Honey, you can finally have the remote control all you want after Saturday night.” Another friend texted me that he was at the Pearly Gates saving me a place in line cos he knows I’m 3 minutes late for everything. Nice.
It doesn’t come as any surprise to me that “the Rapture” didn’t happen yesterday. Any first year convert to Christianity can quote Scripture from Mark 13:32:
“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
I doubt very seriously God is going to reveal to an 89 year old Californian the “day or hour” before He tells Jesus. Any legitimate follower of Christ would have a difficult time defending such a nonsensical prediction. The Rapture didn’t happen. End of story. You’d think we’d all just go back to life as normal today.
Yet this morning we awoke to even more hype. Indignant Christian leaders took to public microphones demanding an apology from Family Radio founder, Harold Camping for his “gross abuse of his followers trust”…not to mention their funds in the millions. Concerned that one man’s wayward teaching somehow besmirched all of Christianity, they decried his errant eschatological prediction and insisted he repent immediately.
Non-Christians flood cyber space with tweets and comments posted to on-line articles, gifting us predictable vitriol about how foolish & ignorant ALL Christians are. Mocking abounds from self-proclaimed atheists in a “see, I told you so” smugness that there is no God. They revel in ridicule and extol their superior enlightenment taunting no one in particular and any believer in general, as if Deity failing to show up yesterday lends credence to their non-belief.
But did God really fail to show up yesterday? I don’t think so. The Divine Creator showed up on May 21, 2011 just as He does every day.
God showed up in the Colorado morning sky as infant sunlight stretched and yawned across a pink & blue celestial nursery illuminating snow atop Pikes Peak. He showed up as stars cavorted and played across the galaxy. He showed up in a silent hospital room as a family gathered to say their last goodbyes to a dying loved one. He showed up as a young woman gave birth for the first time and gently placed a joyful kiss on her newborns’ forehead.
God showed up in an emotional outdoor service as a flag draped a soldier’s coffin. He showed up as a small group of devastated wives banded together to support one another & pray for combat veteran spouses ravaged with PTSD. He showed up in forgiveness offered to someone undeserving of mercy. He showed up as family and friends witnessed sacred vows spoken between a man & woman pledging their love & lives to one another in holy matrimony. He showed up in a nursing home when someone took the time to encourage and hug an elderly man who hadn’t spoken in weeks.
God showed up as committed activists rescued young girls from human trafficing in Mexico and sexual slavery in Asia. He showed up in songs of praise shared in a secret worship service behind closed doors in Afghanistan. He showed up as volunteers rocked babies in a Russian orphanage. He showed up as tent-makers shared the Gospel of Christ with a Muslim in Turkey.
God showed up in gifts of outreach at food kitchens and homeless shelters. He showed up in a million acts of compassion, in simple, unselfish kindnesses demonstrated toward the poor and in countless words of encouragement for the brokenhearted.
On May 21, 2011 God Showed Up. The question is, “Did we see Him?” Or were we too busy watching the sky for something less miraculous?
Livin4Jesus 
Brilliantly God-inspired and poetic.
I agree.
If anything, it got people to get their nose out of their blackberries for just a second just long enough to look up. I’m convinced that there is evidence of the existence of God contained within human behavior. So many spend energy looking outward…if they’d only look inward.
Di-Tell me again why you’re not writing for some fancy publishing house in NYC or DC? You craft sentences so skillfully I feel as if I’m reading a work of art, beautifully painted with words.
Have I told you lately I’m one of your biggst fans? Missing you. The West Coast is most pleasant this time of year. Sure wish you had come with me.