Читать книгу Apocalypse 2012: An optimist investigates the end of civilization - Lawrence Joseph E. - Страница 13

Will the world end in 2012? Will all hell break loose, on the order of an all-out, World War III-scale nuclear holocaust or a meteoric impact like the one believed to have extinguished the dinosaurs? I do not believe so, though that may be partly a reflection of my emotional limitations—as the father of two young, wonderful children, I am simply not capable of such a conviction. Not capable of confronting the possibility that everyone and everything that anyone has ever held dear could be destroyed.

What I am capable of doing is gathering the facts and presenting the evidence necessary to ferret out the reality of 2012. I have found that the prospect of an apocalypse in 2012 should be treated with respect and fear.

This book will demonstrate what I consider the middle-case scenario, namely that 2012 is destined to be a year of unprecedented turmoil and upheaval. Whether the birth agony of a New Age or simply the death throes of our current era, a disturbing confluence of scientific, religious, and historical trends indicates that an onslaught of disasters and revelations, man-made, natural, and quite possibly supernatural, will culminate tumultuously.

The year 2012 has the mark of destiny upon it. Judging from the facts gathered for this book, there is at least an even chance of some massive tragedy and/or great awakening occurring or commencing in that year. The question ultimately is not if but when, not so much the exact date as whether or not this transformational event will occur within our own or our loved ones’ lifetime. The value of the 2012 deadline is that, being so close, it forces us to confront the myriad possibilities for global catastrophe, to gauge their likelihood and destructive potential, and to examine how prepared we are to respond to them, individually and as a civilization.

Everyone responds to deadlines, constructively or otherwise. Especially if there’s pressure. It’s human nature. The last two minutes of each half of a football game, together less than 7 percent of the total playing time, yield at least half the action. I need deadlines. Most of us do. With the unlikely exception of Y2K, that silly dress rehearsal, the 2012 deadline is the first in modern history when so much is on the line for so many.

The blessing of a deadline is the advance notice that goes with it, to get body, mind, and soul together, to take some sensible precautions for oneself and one’s family. In some sense, not necessarily including physical survival, we’ve all got a chance like never before to come together and rise to our collective higher Self. That’s the invigorating challenge of 2012. It forces us to find a common purpose. And having a purpose in life is about the surest way I know to stave off demise.