Читать книгу The Reluctant Savior - Krystan - Страница 9

Prologue

One of Christian radio host Harold Camping’s most influential predictions was that on May 21, 2011, Jesus Christ would return to earth, rapture the chosen ones, and that the end of the world would occur soon thereafter. It wasn’t his first prediction, but this time he was certain—so certain that his Family Radio spent millions on billboards and a media blitz to make sure that the world was properly prepared. Bumper stickers began to appear warning that vehicles would be unmanned when the rapture arrived. The righteous said their goodbyes to friends whom they suspected might not make the journey. Folks circled the twenty-first on their calendars with bold red marking pens and anxiously awaited the day’s arrival.

As the time approached, a few technical concerns began to surface. May 21st in China or the US? Well, that was surely self-explanatory! Ok, then…New York, LA, or Honolulu? That, too, was obvious—only the West Coast could handle an event like this! What about the weather? What if the skies were fair, with no clouds for Jesus to dramatically part? Hmmm…better settle on Seattle for that one—plenty of clouds there—perfect for a twenty-first century re-entry!

With so much publicity, it was indeed a highly anticipated moment when the day finally arrived. Some questions still remained, however, at least among the intellectuals. Questions such as, Would Jesus come like a thief in the night or return triumphant in broad daylight? Or would he draw the chosen ones up into the sky with him, regardless of their activities at the time? That could prove disastrous for those remaining behind! Can you imagine planes with no pilots, restaurants with no waiters, public restrooms with no janitors? Or worse yet, the Kansas City Chiefs without Patrick Mahomes? On the bright side, though, how about theaters with no ticket-takers, or airport parking lots with no attendants? How long have we waited for a break like that?

Sadly, in real time on planet Earth, the day ended with no hint of a savior—no parting of the skies, no choirs of angels, no Gabriel’s trumpet solo…no lights, no camera, and definitely no action. The faithful who had queued up for a heavenly departure were left in the dark, standing at the station, with no train a-comin’ or even a distant whistle a-blowin’. The naysayers—those just waiting for the ‘I-told-you-that-was-crap’ moment—seemed to have been vindicated. Even a prankster with a hot-air Jesus balloon would have provided some measure of comic relief for yet another human failure to predict the mind of the almighty.

Indeed, there was much disillusionment, frustration, and personal loss in the believers’ camp as May 21, 2011, came and went just like every other day….

OR DID IT?