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Happy Apocalypse

2011/05/21

So, today is the end. When I say today, I mean tomorrow, of course, having posted this today, which is, according to the date on this post, yesterday. I posted it late yesterday (or, for those of you reading early, today), because I will not be here today (or, for those of you reading early, today).

I’m not posting the usual Saturday hymn, because, assuming heaven has internet access, the hymnody is so much better there that anyone who went there has no interest in the imperfect verse of fallible mortals, and because anyone who didn’t, assuming, again, that they have internet access, is not interested in having me rub it in with the gospel they rejected set to music.

We can have a little fun mocking the foolishness of Harold Camping, and many already have, but today (or tomorrow, if . . . well, you know) it’s not so funny. Assuming Jesus did not return — he could, you know, even today — there will be a lot of crushed Camping followers when May 22 rolls around, Christ did not come, and they are still here. For some, this will be a good thing. They will be disillusioned with Campingism, and be prepared for the gospel. Others will be likewise disillusioned, but will be hardened against Christianity. In both groups will be those who sold everything, emptied their savings, and invested it all in spreading Camping’s message of divine judgment. What will they do?

Then there are the children. They didn’t ask for this, but they got it. What will they do when they see that their parents have been duped in the name of Christ? If their parents emptied their college funds to promote a fraud? How will they react if they ever encounter the real thing? Some of them may actually have tasted the gospel. Will they be among those described in Hebrews 6:4–6?

None of that is funny.

Some have wondered what kind of fancy steps Camping will have to make, now that his fool status has been upgraded and advertised. I might be wrong, but I think he’s got a plan already. I doubt if he really believed, beyond doubt, that he could predict the Second Coming. I doubt if he believes it at all. At the very least, if he thinks he might be right, he has a back-up plan in case he is wrong. That’s what I think. Of course, I could be wrong. Camping could be thoroughly convinced, and the top story on Sunday could be that he has jumped off a tall building.

That won’t be funny, either.

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