Ever heard the expression “feet of clay?” It means when someone has a fatal flaw. Usually someone admired or thought highly of. We use the expression when someone lets us down. Really, we all have feet of clay. Well…at least I do. Anyway, that expression came from today’s first reading from Daniel 2. Daniel interprets a dream for the king. Read about it.
In the Gospel reading from Luke 21, Jesus is talking about the end times and what signs there will be that the end is near. “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.” Does all this sound familiar? It sure does to me. Is it because we’re in the end times? Well, I suppose we could be, but that’s not why this all sounds familiar. It is because all of these things have been happening since the beginning of time!
“End timers” have been around since before Christ walked the earth. “The end is near!” While some of these people may have good intentions – to get us to repent – for the most part they are playing on people’s fears. We need to be aware that the “end times” could come at any time. And not react out of fear, but out of love. A novel concept, eh?
Father, teach us to live our lives, not out of fear of the end, but out of love…for You, and for our neighbor. Amen.
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