When Mountains Fall

I’ve heard more than one high profile Christian (or articles regarding groups of Christians) that talk about all the disasters we are viewing around the world as the sign of the end.  We have had lots of action on the geologic front lately, from earthquakes, the tsunami last year and a swarm of hurricanes, including Katrina this year.

Now there was this disaster in the Philippines where a 3000 foot mountain basically just disintegrated on a town at the base, killing most of the people.  Sounds disastrous, and the pictures look horrifying.  How could you not think the Christ was on his way.

Or are these still the birth pangs of the end, as Jesus repeatedly reminded us?  One thing about our modern society is that we get information so readily and so quick from all parts of the world that every little event is not out of reach of our senses.  So are we really seeing more devastation throughout the world, or has life always been this way for people all around the globe and we just get to see it all now?

I’m sure WWII looked to many people like the world was ending.  But these are just birth pains.  Christ could come tomorrow.  Or he may not come until we’ve all passed away and our grandchildren will face that day.  Or not even then.  So we continue to prepare for our lives as if we life for old age, with the understanding that we are to continue working on our faith as if Christ will come any time. 

Never the less, the sight of an entire mountain sliding down on you must have been horrible.  Hundreds or thousands of displaces peoples, families broken, kids without parents, thousands dead.  Our prayers go out to the people of this small town.