The Power of Rest

Revelations

                       “What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly.”  

                                                                -  Richard Bach

Soothsayers, mystics, sages and a fair number of quacks have predicted the end of the world for generations. When Haley’s Comet, the Hadron collider, Y2K and the seating of the newest Pope didn’t precipitate the end, doomsayers scrambled to find a new symbol on which to hang their hats, one which might work the world into yet another froth of frenzy and fear. 

“We were wrong before. But we mean it this time!" They've since suggested super moons, solar eclipses, the reversing of the magnetic poles and sightings of the Virgin Mary on tortillas. "Gah," we mumble. "Those nutjobs!" 

The hoopla surrounding the end of the Mayan Calendar on 12/21/12 seemed especially frenetic. As the days ticked down to December 21, 2012, even nonbelievers grew weak in the knees, waiting with bated breath for the hail of hellfire and brimstone that, to their great relief, never materialized.

When the big day came and went with nary a black Horseman, the world shrugged its shoulders, laughing and pointing fingers at the Apocalypse watchers. "The world's doing just fine. Nothing to worry about." But the faithful remained stubbornly on point, listening for hoof beats while the rest of us got back to business as usual.  

When yet another Apocalypse fizzled, I could not join in the collective sigh of relief. Wheels began turning in my mind, leaving me unsettled. Could the end of the Mayan Calendar have greater meaning? Anything at all? Clearly, the world hadn’t tilted off its axis.  But perhaps something was brewing. Another kind of Apocalypse, sneaking in quietly just under the radar. 

In today's vernacular, the word Apocalypse has frightening connotations. These can be traced to the last book of the New Testament, the Book of Revelation. In the classic, religious,  Biblical interpretation of the Apocalypse,  the Apostle John foresaw the end of the world in a dream. In his visions, he described a world embroiled in war, when good would ultimately  triumph over evil and Christ would return to earth to judge all mankind.

I cannot pretend to know the exact meaning of the complex visions described by John the Apostle, but I suspect they are not to be taken literally.  They seem to be allegories for the ongoing struggle between good and evil,  which we are clearly battling in today’s broken world.

The Book of Revelation was written in Koine Greek, and its title is derived from the first word of the text, apokalypsis, meaning "unveiling" or "revelation." In the days since Christ walked the earth and left us with his simple but profound commandment to love one another, it is painfully clear that our world has changed.  And, in keeping with the true meaning of apokalypsis, it’s no great leap of imagination for us to wonder if the Apocalypse John described might well be underway.  Now, more than ever, much has been revealed that was concealed.

Evil, hidden deep in the hearts of mankind, has been revealed in stark contrast to Christ's simple message of love and kindness. The modern world routinely uncovers rampant greed, an imbalance of power among nations, a willingness to put corporations ahead of the well being of people,  and a pervasive belief that the earth will continually absorb the pollution and byproducts we call commerce and progress.  Mankind’s willingness to subjugate entire races, ignore poverty and dire need while pouring resources into war reveal the hidden nature of man’s capacity for degradation of the human soul.

Deep down, we know these choices can not continue. The world becomes imbalanced when the laws of nature are ignored, and a commitment to basic human dignity and goodwill are flouted. Troubled, we fear life as we know it is unsustainable; that a peaceful, healthy planet won’t exist for our children and our children’s children. But we're not sure what, short of a revolution, will save us.