Planning For The End Of The World

Here’s a word you will read more about in 2010: “Apophis” It’s the name of an asteroid detected in 2004 that will come within 30, 000 km of the earth on April 13, 2029. That’s close. While it will miss the Earth, it will likely take out a satellite or two on the way by. By comparison the moon is 150, 000 km away from earth. The picture on the right shows a simulation of the path the asteroid will follow (the gray bar is the margin of error).  The Russians made news yesterday by announcing that they are going to plan a mission to blow it up and might be interested in other countries helping out. Well, you can write the script for a disaster movie right there!

Scientists have all but ruled it out but what if it was going to hit Earth? What if you had 20 years left? How would that change your plans for 2010? Should it?  For most of us, it really won’t make much difference in 2010. Most of us live within a bubble of awareness that is perhaps a few weeks wide, maybe months wide if you’ve got control issues (not that there’s anything wrong with that. 🙂 If something is going to happen outside that range it doesn’t have a whole lot of impact, no pun intended. How about if we were talking about blowing up the world in 10 years? Two years?

Seth Godin wrote a blog where he asks the question “How far away is your future?”, meaning if you divide you reality into three sections: Past, Present, and Future, how far away is the time you call ‘your future?’

Should Christians operate with a big horizon or not? Does having an eternal perspective mean you are looking ahead 20 years in the future or does it mean you don’t plan outside of this week.

I play hockey with a bunch a guys; some are church goin’ types, some aren’t. Should I be preparing my Gospel presentation before the end of the season or am I in no rush at all?

The problem with working with a ’40 years Present’ is that in reality you don’t know really know how much  time you have left. Big plans must be flexible and be made with open hands. All the time you think you have can be taken from you in flash. Likewise, living in the moment can squander countless opportunities because you can’t see far enough ahead to take advantage of them.

I think most people, Christian or not, don’t plan enough. Most people (especially people 30 and under) live life reacting to what comes down the chute and don’t purpose or desire for something to happen.  They just sit back and see if it works out.

I think everyone ought to have something in 2010 that you would miss if you didn’t get it done. Being 100% reactionary does not serve the cause of Christ well.  What gift can you plan now to lay at the feet of Christ by the end of the year if you resolved to prepare now?  While leaving room for the perogative of God there is more lost than gained in not planning a ministry for God.

Can you volunteer with Big Brothers or Big Sisters?  Can you sponsor a child through World Vision?  Can you decide right now to invest time, and love in a kid at your church? A kid in your neighbourhood?  There are plenty of things you could do as an overflow of affection for God,  But you have to decide now to do it.  It won’t just come up.

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