May 21 @ 6 PM

  Harold Camping is clearly not a horse racing fan

  Camping has announced that the world is ending this Saturday, May 21, at 6 PM.  (Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that he thinks Jesus is not a horse-racing fan.  Post time for the Preakness is 6:05.  It would be interesting to see what would happen if a jockey was raptured during the race.  What would the horse do?  Or what if the horse was raptured, and the jockey wasn't?  [Can horses be raptured?  God can do anything, right?]  I suppose the impending drama isn't worth missing the rapture for, but would be interesting nonetheless)

  There are plenty of other big questions, including whether or not I should bother to write a sermon this week.  Perhaps the biggest is why anyone believes this guy, seeing as how he pulled the same stunt in 1994.  In case you're curious, no, the world didn't end then.  Somehow, though, he has corrected his math, and is certain this time.  So all sorts of people have quit their jobs and are racing around the country to advertise the end of the world.  I imagine that God encourages conversion based on a little more than fear of the end of the world (love for Christ would be good), but what do I know?

  By now, (if you're still reading this) you're undoubtedly curious as to how Mr. Camping arrived at May 21.  He did so by the delightfully advanced technique of multiplying 5, 10 and 17 together twice.  This comes out to 722,500.  He then added these days to April 1, 33 AD, the supposed date of the crucifixion.  That gets us to this coming Saturday.  He says 5,10 and 17 are holy numbers.  That's all well and good, but I'd say 3, 7 and 12 are more common in the Bible, meaning that the rapture happened a while ago.  But let's not ask too many questions here.

  Obviously, Mr. Camping is not big on Jesus telling us Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of man comes. (Matt. 25:13).   I guess Jesus taught some math lessons somewhere else in the Gospels.

  Will the world end sometime?  Yep.

  Will it be a date and time that is announced by a publicity-seeking Christian?  I doubt it.

  I imagine Christ will descend from the heavens when Christ is ready to do so, not a minute before, and while we may know about it beforehand, I don't think we should need advance warning to be ready.  Let us live such holy lives with such love for God, self and neighbors that we will regret nothing when Christ descends as a bride adorned for the church.