January 9, 2011

Clay Nelson

Epiphany 1     Matthew 3:13-17

Epiphany begins and ends with a theophany. I try not to use words my spellchecker doesn’t know in my sermons, but this morning I will make an exception. A theophany is the experiencing of God by means of our senses, usually by seeing, touching or hearing (I know of no instances reported where someone smelled God.). The Bible has a number of them. The burning bush is one particularly memorable example. In today’s Gospel we have another: the heavens open, a dove descends, a divine voice proclaims Jesus as having a unique relationship to God. On the last Sunday in Epiphany we will once again hear that voice reiterate that relationship, only this time on a mountaintop and as part of a vision given to three disciples who see Jesus’ appearance transfigured as he converses with Moses and Elijah. Clearly these are not every day kinds of experiences. Certainly I’ve never expected to see a theophany as graphic as these. Then last Sunday as I opened the front doors for worship I saw a sign — well a billboard. No, not one of ours but a billboard we lease as a source of income for the church. On it Family Radio announces the coming of a pretty major theophany on May 21st — Judgement Day — the Second Coming of Christ. Paul, who wrote his letters before the church had a designated season of Epiphany, refers to this event as the Epiphany. Was it only a coincidence that this sign went up so I’d see it on Epiphany Sunday? I can only wonder.

At first I thought it was a joke or had something to do with the World Cup. So I consulted my authority for all things theological, Wikipedia, to find out more about FamilyRadio.com. It’s no joke or at least they aren’t kidding. Family Radio turns out to be the corporate face of an American — wouldn’t you know. His name is Harold Camping who in 1959 began building what is now a major religious broadcasting network throughout the US. Through Internet and satellite radio and shortwave his reach is now worldwide and his programming is broadcast in 40 languages.

On his website Mr. Camping goes to great lengths to explain how he knows Judgment Day will be May 21, 2011. The abbreviated reason is because the Bible told him so. May 21, 2011 is exactly 7000 years to the day after the flood that required Noah to build an ark destroyed the world. It was news to me that we even knew the date. I am somewhat annoyed that no one told me this in seminary. However, Howard would tell me I always had the information at my fingertips in the Bible where “each and every word in the original languages is from the mouth of God.”

So what exactly can we expect on May 21st? Harold Camping reflects the view of Christians who are dispensationalists. They believe that human history is divided into different covenants God has made with us. They are convinced that the final dispensation Paul describes in his first letter to the Thessalonians is at hand: “for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labour pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape” (5:2-3). Last Monday, the day after Epiphany Sunday, a thief broke into St Matthew’s late at night to steal the money in our donation box. Is this only a coincidence or another sign? I can only wonder.

What will happen on Judgment Day according to dispensationalists is that Jesus will return, but invisibly, and the faithful dead and living will be “raptured.” They will float up to heaven with Jesus. This is based again on Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians where he says the faithful “will be caught up in the clouds…to meet the Lord in the air” (4:17). Harold predicts that 200 million will be saved on Judgment Day. However, that leaves behind over six billion, 700 million of us. Don’t worry about whether or not you are one of the elect — you aren’t. According to Camping, Satan now rules the church, not just St Matthew’s, so no one who belongs to a church will be saved.

What will the Rapture be like? An official Left Behind website on the Internet declares: “In one chaotic moment, millions of people around the world [will] suddenly disappear leaving their clothes, wedding rings, eye glasses and shoes in crumpled piles. Mass confusion [will hit] while vehicles suddenly unmanned veer out of control, fires [will] erupt and hysteria [will break] out as the living stare in disbelief and fear at the empty places where their loved ones were just seconds before.”

Those of us left behind will then face the Great Tribulation when Satan and Jesus fight it out in what is known as Armageddon. It won’t be a happy time for us. The good news is it will be over on October 21, 2011 when the world will end according to Harold.

There is more good news for us. Harold Camping predicted once before the end of the world — September 27, 1994. Although that time he did say he could be wrong. This time he hasn’t suggested that possibility. He is confident enough to advertise it widely on billboards, bus stop benches, and bumper stickers. He hasn’t just singled St Matthew’s out, although our support of the gay and lesbian community is one of the signs that Satan rules the church and judgment day is nigh. So I don’t think it is a coincidence that he placed one here. I wonder if he knows that he is supporting our ministry by using our billboard for three months? Perhaps he believes that after May 21st it doesn’t matter.

Unless you think such beliefs reflect only a small portion of Christendom, over 65 million copies of the “Left Behind” series of books about the Rapture have been sold. Founders of the Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah Witnesses, the Baha’is, the Unification Church, and Jerry Falwell have all predicted the date of Judgment Day. Even Sir Isaac Newton got into the act predicting 2060 CE.

And lest you think this is only an American thing. The intellectual force behind the idea of the Rapture was an Irishman, John Nelson Darby, who was an Anglican priest before leaving the priesthood to found what we now know as the Exclusive Brethren who have a significant presence in both Australia and New Zealand.

And while predicting the exact date of Judgment Day may seem the slightly demented activity of those with a predilection for elaborate conspiracy theories, belief in the Second Coming and a Judgment Day some day is still an article of faith of orthodox Christianity. At our 8 o’clock service where we still say the Nicene Creed we affirm the Church’s belief that Jesus “will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.”

Apparently the first generation of Jesus’ followers was certain he would return in their lifetime. This may explain why it took a while for the Gospels to be written. There would be no need to pass the good news along to future generations if the world would soon end. There was much anxiety when the years stretched out with no return. Many attempts were made to explain the delay. Today you will find little discussion of it in mainline Christianity. I think that is probably a good thing. While on a poetic level much can said about the imagery of Christ’s return in a time of apocalyptic chaos, on a literal level it is destructive. It is time for the notion of a literal second coming to be left behind. To focus on our escape from the trials of this life blocks us from living this life abundantly. To consider earth as a mere way station on the way to heaven allows us to continue destroying our planet without regret. For if we don’t do it, Armageddon will. No need to worry about the poor either if all will be sorted in the next life, at least for the righteous ones. Seeking justice now for the marginalised is unnecessary, as Jesus will balance the scales on Judgment Day. 

For those of us who no longer hold an image of God as an old man in the sky and Jesus as a superman who flies in and out of the world at will, it seems like a colossal waste of time. Instead of longing to see Jesus return in glory riding a cloud, we could be a theophany ourselves to those who hunger for justice, love and compassion. We could be the Jesus they are waiting for today and on May 22nd.