The End of Time
As we approach the end of the Church year, we hear Gospels related to the end of time. But, frankly, the end of time is not my strong suit. I don’t really understand it.
When I lived in New York City, it was not uncommon to hear someone shouting on a street corner, proclaiming the end of the world and calling the world to repent.
In 1925, T.S. Elliott, in his poem “The Hollow Men,” addressed the question of how the world would end. His oft-quoted line is that the world will end “not with a bang but with a whimper.”
Today in our Gospel reading, we hear Jesus talking about the end of time. He speaks about great natural disasters, plagues, famines, and all other kinds of destruction. The world will be in turmoil. Persecution and death will be meted out to Jesus’ followers. They will be jailed and called on to defend Jesus.
So, all in all, this does not sound like a fun time. Some might argue that we are seeing some of the signs already. Yet, in the destruction and chaos that Jesus describes, there is a sentence that shines a light of hope. Jesus says that when we are challenged and called on to defend Him we should prepare no defense. Instead, he will give us the words we are to say.
This is a hard edge for many. People of great faith often do not trust God, who speaks directly to them. However, in this reading about the end, Jesus promises He gives us the words we need.
When we come before God in prayer and find a silent place within where God can speak. We hear His voice.
There is a great temptation to fill our prayer with words. Silence is hard. And when God does speak, we call it wishful thinking, talking to ourselves, or a figment of our imaginations. It is hard to imagine that God, creator, and sustainer of the universe, would speak individually to me. But He does. as He promised He would.
I had the most powerful experience of God speaking to me just a couple of years ago. I was preparing an Advent penance service. Father Jerry invited me to do the reflection. I selected the reading I wanted to use quickly and began at least two weeks before the service to pray with the Gospel looking for the wisdom of God to share.
As the day of the service drew closer, I was baffled. I had no words, inspiration, or idea of what I would say. Then, in the frantic pleading of my prayer, I heard God say, “Do you trust me.” I remember responding, “Of course I trust you. But you have to give me something…anything!” But God was silent, and I had nothing to share.
The day of the service came, and still, I had nothing but anxiety. The service started, Father Jerry was reading the Gospel and my heart pounded with panic. It was time, and I did not have two words to say in order. I looked up at our mural and again heard the voice of God, loudly and clearly. He said, “My words, not yours.” My reflection that evening was His words, not mine. It was probably the most powerful reflection I have ever given. His words, not mine.
What God did for me that evening, He does for us all the time. We are an instrument in the hand of the Master. God is within us, giving us the words to speak if we trust Him. God is within us, giving us the strength to forgive when we only know pain. God is within us, giving us the insight to solve conflicts. God is within us, giving us the courage to not be silent but to witness His name.
I don’t know about the end of time. I don’t know when and how it will come. I don’t know whether it will be with a bang or a whimper. But this I do know. God lives in us at the deepest core of our being. God will guide us through disease and natural disasters. We need only listen to the silence and trust His words in our hearts. Then, when the end comes, we will be one with God.
In God’s Unending Love,
Gwen
