We're Still Here But Are We Fine?

Happy Mayan Day!

So far, so good, eh?

The Earth has not exploded.  Our dogs and cat have not tried to eat me (licking doesn't count).  I hear no screaming from Australia.

Whatever the Mayans were doing, they failed to consider Leap Year, so the world actually ended months ago.  In which case, we would be like one of those snakes who has been cut in half, but the brain hasn't gotten the message yet.  Also, when they talk about the end of the world, most cultures are really talking about their own demise.  The Mayans missed that one by a mile!

So the Mayans didn't really have a clue when the world was ending.  They were no more accurate than hundreds of cult groups or prognosticators.  Many of whom boldly state a date, the date passes, and rather than admit defeat, they boldly recalculate.  Everyone knows that the end of the world date won't be known until 2117, with the invention of time travel.

And of course, in Christian terms, via the Gospel of Matthew, only the Father knows.  And he's not telling.

Now the world could end by a number of natural events that we have no real control over.  The sun could flare and burn us up.  The sun could dim and freeze us all.  There are a number of comets and meteors, any number of which could have bumper stickers that say I DON"T BRAKE FOR PLANETS.

There are also a number of ways we could take out the planet ourselves.  We don't necessarily need God to come and take us out.  We're perfectly capable of doing that ourselves.  Man-Made global warming is already wreaking havoc with our planet.  We still could face nuclear Armageddon.  We could devour enough essential resources of one kind or another to descend the planet into savage chaos.

I tend to be a short-term pessimist and a long-term optimist.  I think things will eventually get better, but we might have to go through a lot to get there.  My Christian philosophy lends me to believe that the idea is to improve things here and create heaven on earth, or some reasonable facsimile thereof.  Love God.  Love your neighbor.  Work hard at making the world a better place.  That is my trilogy of hope.

So, take that, Mayans!  Here's to another bright and beautiful day on this shiny planet as we move slowly towards Paradise.

One way or another.