IS IT THE END OF THE WORLD?
CZESŁAW RYSZKA
Does thinking about apocalypse, about the end of the world have any sense? Even if it does not, it exists in us, fulfils not only a man but also the whole universe, other planets, cosmos...In the letter of St. Paul to the Romans it is said that all creatures say about their wistful waiting for the end (see Genesis 8,18-23); whereas in the Letter to Corinthians there are words that ‘the form of this world is passing away’ (1 Cor 7,31). It means that the world had its order, so it is not infinite and it is not going to last forever. No science is able to overthrow this statement. No human theory can exclude God’s causative intervention. Religious vision of the scenario of the end of existence of a man and the world has been written among the others in the Book of St. John’s Revelations. It says about a big fire which is going to destroy the land, about gigantic destructions and changes, although – it needs to be added here – their purpose will not be destroying everything but creating new Heaven and Earth. Aren’t we near to the forecast Biblical apocalypse through the contemporary threats and destructions which have been caused by a man against him and against the world? Today only little is needed to raise emotions connected with the forthcoming end of the world. It is proved by a psychosis about the calendar of Mayas which ends with the date of 21 December 2012. A real media tsunami was caused by a new book ‘Prophecy of Orion for the year 2012’ which describes in a detailed way that on that day there will be Earth pole shift caused by powerful electromagnetic radiation of the Sun. It will be a sunny storm which will shake the Earth so strongly that the whole energetic net of our world will collapse: all transformers will melt, the world will be deprived of electricity and, consequently, industry will collapse, all computer systems will be useless and communication will become impossible. Others find a lot of emotions and fear in scriptures of Middle Aged prophecy of St. Malachi, which are based on history of 111 last popes. The last of them – according to this prophecy – would be Benedict XVI. What is important, the mentioned scriptures say about an unusual fight against Christianity and against the values of Decalogue long time ago, against the persecution of believers, which is supposed to help the attempt to set up ‘new order’, new ‘moral harmony’, life without God or in a different way: as if God did not exist. Without getting involved in the analysis of those Middle Age scriptures, it is easy to find contemporary facts for them and, in fact, this impetus towards a kind of moral self-destruction; for, how to evaluate the acceptance of the Act of abortion nearly in the whole world in another way or euthanasia or homosexual couples? Similarly, the issues of genetic manipulations, experiments of cloning people, a fight against family, greed for power, satisfying instincts in a blind way – wouldn’t it be the return of anti-Christ predicted in the Bible this time? Isn’t it life in the threshold of the hell? And what to think about plans of media rulers aiming at global taking over the reigns over the world, over people’s minds over their consciences and behaviour and also over the worldly business and economy? And more: how to understand senseless exploitation of land resources which simply leads to a picture presented in the Bible where there is ‘much oppression and distortion in nature’? Scientists, evaluating the state of the world ecology, name the land a gigantic coffin. In consequence, most earthquakes, floods, even volcanic eruptions are caused by human activity; and how to evaluate the security state of the world, if the excessive nuclear weapon may destroy thousands of such planets as the Earth! Or isn’t the rule ‘after us the even deluge’ seen in the activity of the contemporary governments, also in Poland? In fact many contemporary dangers have a literally apocalyptic character and everything suggests that humankind and the world are getting nearer a critical point. Certainly, even today there is no lack of mockers who, using the words from the Second Letter of St. Peter, are shouting to the Christians with mockery: ‘Where is the promised coming of your Messiah?’ (see 3,4). We can answer them with the further part of this Letter: ‘Lord is not slack with his promise but shows his patience towards you because he does not want anybody to die but wants everybody to repent’. (see 2P3,9)
What is the world going to face? What will be next? We should say after St. Augustine that ‘it is not the old world which is ending but the new world is starting to exist. Every end is always a new beginning’; therefore there is the question for a believer: is it the end of the world? It is not just marking dates or emphasizing the fear but life according to the words of Jesus: ‘Watch out and alert because you do not know when the time comes’ (see Mk 13,33).
In the end I will reveal that everything which I presented above, can be found in my latest book entitled ‘It it the end of the world? Our final problems’, published in Cracow by the publishing house Salwator (tel. (12) 260-60-80). See: www.salwator.com
(AA)
"Niedziela" 13/2012