The Story of the human race has cycled through numerous apocalyptic ages throughout our history.
And when we are there, it feels like the end of the world.
Our current Living in The Story leads us readers into Exile with Israel. Their world has ended in many ways and things will never be the same.
At the same time, as Living in The Story readers, we encounter the experience of the first century Christians. With the destruction of the Second Temple during the Great Jewish Revolt and the great defeat of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., their world also had come to an end.
During both these epochal ages, Judaism and Christianity evolved into something completely different. Something old died and something brand new emerged.
A new creation was birthed into the world.
This image of birthing is helpful as we consider how to respond to these apocalyptic times. When everything we know, everything we are is in transition, it can feel as if the the whole earth is in labor.
As I write this in the fall of 2019, our world is in tumult.
- Climate crises.
- Constant war.
- Rising violence.
- Ethnic conflicts.
- Class divides.
- Waves of authoritarianism in the U.S. and around the world.
I keep reminding myself this is not the worst things have ever been. But things are pretty bad.
Are we also in labor?
Continue reading “Living in Apocalypse”