The most exciting one of all is all the hoohaa about the world coming to an end. As a child, when I first heard about the prophecies on Daniel and Revelation, it captured my imagination like a fantasy tale. The battle between good and evil. Tensions rising, fight or fend, war culminating in the world's final battle. But through this conflict and chaos, courage shines forth. Courage to stand for the right, courage in the face of fear, courage to trust in a God that you can't see or touch but have experienced.
But today, this fantasy tale of the events of the future seems to fast be turning into the present. In the bible, it mentioned that we will hear of "wars and rumors of war" (Matt 24:6), natural disasters will strike, treasures and wealth will become worthless.
It started with 9/11, where America, the world's superpower was punctured right at its main artery - the twin towers that kept much of the worlds dollar sign pumping. Then, tonnes of money were spilled on American's war on Iraq.
But what scared me the most is the chain reaction that triggered off Tunisia by just one man. This man was trying to make ends meet by setting up a little stall by the street but was stopped and bullied by the police. Desperate and despaired, he set himself on fire in protest and died. This sparked off an outcry and within hours thousands of protesters thronged the street revolting against an oppressive, corrupt regime. 219 died and President Ben Ali was ousted.
The example of how the protests had the power to bring down a dictator, catapulted the region's oppressed states into chaos. Within two weeks of street protests, Egypt's leader Mubarak was ousted.
Now, Libya is in turmoil. What tore my heart was Al Jazeera's footage on Friday of first a police station on fire. People burning a dummy figure and hanging it off the edges of a police station. Then the shocking footage of 20 dead men - police who refused to fire at protesters.
Just anytime now, we could hear of another leader backing down or streams of blood will continue to flow. Newspapers are speculating country would be next in the fight for freedom.
Fear is the word found not only on the lips of those in the middle east. The world is trembling as well. The strife in these oil rich countries is setting the world's oil supply on a plunge, which may lead to yet another financial crisis.
It just seems that things are not getting any better.
In the midst of these world events, last week, Kevin posed random question: "I heard President Obama will be the one to institute Sunday law." That took me by surprise.
As a journalism student, I've been keeping abreast of the happenings in the world but absorbed in a wholly different topic, I haven't given these world events much thought.
Shocked, I dug deep in to my past knowledge on bible prophecies and started recalling. The wars, the famine, the floods, the earthquakes, pushing government to their wits end and losing control. People demanding a better life and finding that it is humanly impossible to solve the world's problems. Corruption, climate change, war. It's all predicted in the bible. Could it be that the fantasy world that seemed so far away is the world that I'm living in now?
What lies ahead?
People searching for certainty in chaos turn to the divine for answers.
Will that lead to the union of church and state?
People wanting to come back to God.
Will that lead to instituting a day of worship for the world pay respects to one divine being?
My heart trembles.
But wait, I remember that in the demons and dragons fairytale that I heard as a child, there was a Savior and there were saints. Saints, who had no fear of the future, who stood for the right though the heavens fall because they trusted a Savior. A Savior who loved these saints supremely, who sheltered and protected them in chaos and and, just before the world caves in on them, He would come snatch them up into the clouds to be in his arms Him forever.
My heart trembles.
Not in fear.
But, in anticipation.
Because, I know that in the midst of uncertainty, I have a surety and that is a Savior, who loves me. Supremely.
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