IN THEORY,submitted to La Canada Valley Sun, June 24, 2010
Topic:
Most scripture promotes our careful stewardship of the earth. And yet, apocalyptic religious traditions welcome signs of the “end times” (environmental degradation, war, oil spills, etc.), considering it the fulfillment of long-awaited prophecy and the beginning of a new age of peace. What's the role of free will in the face of such prophecy? Should we celebrate these “signs” or try to do something to minimize the violence and destruction? If action is called for, how should we rally together to battle our “compassion fatigue” and heal the world’s wounds?
Our response:
So much has been written about the last book of the Bible, presenting about as many viewpoints as there are authors. That’s understandable, and yet the Book of Revelation is the apex of Biblical literature. However, using it to justify an acceptance of upheavals and destruction is unlikely to be profitable; such an approach is typical of similar interpretations throughout history, when current woes seemed overwhelming, but nevertheless were not a precursor to an era of God-given peace on earth.
Christ Jesus stated that “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17). Referring to this, Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science, wrote, “This spiritual consciousness is therefore a present possibility” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, page 574).
That sentiment is so vividly underscored in the elaborate imagery of Revelation, for example, the destruction of the “great dragon … which deceiveth the whole world” (Rev. 12) — the elimination of any conviction that evil or chaos has real power; and the unveiling of “a new heaven and a new earth” (Rev. 21), a practical understanding of mankind’s and the earth’s innate spiritual qualities emanating from God.
When we see how Revelation points to present spiritual possibilities, there is plenty to motivate us into action, and we can each join in local or wider practical efforts in whatever way seems best.
It is critical for each individual to utilize his/her “free will” to realize our individual and collective relationship to the divine, that “kingdom of God” that is within us, and not to accept the inevitability of the calamities and violence so prevalent today.
In this atmosphere of spiritual endeavor and moral courage, “compassion fatigue” is out of the question, and we can expect a lessening of the evidence and impacts of natural and man-made crises. There is much we can do prayerfully to address these issues, understanding that God truly is the creator and maintainer of the earth and of us.
