The Bible may not guarantee it, but I will. And we get to do this all over again in 2012 too? Sheesh! But wait a second; the Bible does guarantee something: there is no knowing when the end will come, so stop with the guessing already.
Not only does Christ the LORD state this clearly (see Photoshopped billboard above) once, but He does so repeatedly. Here, here, here, and here. For good measure, the Apostles Peter and Paul do so as well, here and here, respectively. And did I mention Christ said it again here? Practically everywhere throughout the New Testament! Sorry to engage in Shock and Awe scripture tactics but beware the Catholic who reads his Bible regularly.
So, you see, I'm still going to have some fun with this event while hopefully spreading the Truth with Charity (see above links, por favor). Oh, and before we get any further, the Catholic Church (the one founded by the Just Judge Himself) has stated unequivocally that what Christ and the Disciples said about all the end of the world stuff is absolutely and unchangeably true. Catholics believe in the end of the world. It will happen once, and for all. But not on the time-table of any charlatan who thinks he can decipher the mind of God the Father. Even the Son didn't go there. So that idea is most assuredly laugh-out-loud funny.
So let's get to some of the music that my friends and I thought of while waiting for this most recent bout of end-times silliness (see you again next year) to pass. First up, the best pop song I can think of that makes light of Apocalypse now!
It's the End of the World, As We Know It (And I Feel Fine), R.E.M. No set up for this is needed, right? I felt fine, how about you? I didn't even break out my stash of spare bricks for the post-Rapture looting I invited everyone to attend. Yep, I was that confident that God wouldn't satisfy the pride of a huckster by showing up on the schedule (say that the British way, for effect) of a mere mortal.
Rapture, Blondie. A number of my friends posted this one on their Facebook walls. About all that this song has in common with the end of the world is the word "rapture." Deborah Harry helped bring rap music mainstream with this song. The Mars Attacks! theme sort of reminds me of the zombie apocalypse (see my "Theology of the Zombie" post for details) scenario in a way.
Dueling Banjo, from the movie Deliverance. See, God is subtle, and as the scriptures (and the Church) clearly teach, the end is unknowable. And your personal end is unknowable too. But something like this happening might be a sign that you should pay attention to. Just sayin'.
One of Us, Joan Osborne. Several of my friends shared their "If this was the last day on Earth" music as the clock ticked down. This tune made Catholic author Mary DeTurris Poust's play list. She also wrote a little post about the event you may enjoy as well. Have a look while you listen to Ms. Osbourne.
Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Tears for Fears. The idea for sharing this song just came over me. Perhaps it's the name of the band, which fits this event to a "t", as well as the general idea behind the song. Harold Camping, and his ilk, have a problem with letting the Maker of Heaven and Earth, of all that is seen and unseen, rule the world, see? Yo! Mr. Camping—get your hand off the tiller.
Won't Get Fooled Again, Pete Townsend. This song is about politics on one level, and about being duped (with startling regularity) on the other. A huge hit for Pete's band the Who, he'll go a little softer with his acoustic version. But not much.
I Will Always Be True, Third Day. Rounding out this seven song set, the gang from Third Day puts this whole episode into the proper perspective for us. After all, Truth Incarnate said "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me."
Next week, I'll get back to the Jesus Goes Mainstream series.
