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“There
shall be a time of great anguish, such as has never occurred
since nations first came into existence.” (Daniel 12:1b)
“How
long shall it be to the end of these wonders?” (Daniel
12:6)
“Many
will come in my name and say ‘I am he!’ and they will lead
many astray. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not
be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to
come. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against
kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there
will be famines; this is but the beginning of the birth
pangs… They will hand you over to councils, you will be
beaten, brother will betray brother to death, and a father his
child, and children will rise against parents and have them
put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my
name… Beware, keep alert, for you do not know when the time
will come.” (Mark 13:6-9, 11-12, 33)
Perhaps
you are wondering: Where is the good news here? Hopefully by
the end, I will get there, but first…
Imagine
a young man visiting the big city. Prior to sharing a final
meal with friends, he tells them that chaos, both natural and
man-made, will be the coming order of the day. He informs them
that a beloved icon of their cultural and religious identity,
their birthright, will be destroyed. Then, after these
warnings, he enjoys a meal with them and the camaraderie of
shared experiences, old jokes, and remembrances of the good
times before he takes that fateful journey to trial,
conviction and the final, painful, humiliating walk to his
death. Dead man walking! Where is God in this?
The young
man’s name is Jesus, and his journey to Calvary is for our
salvation. The passage from Mark 13 invites us, like the
disciples of 70 AD (when the temple was being destroyed and
persecution of Jesus’ followers by the religious and civil
authorities was in full swing), to view the desolation of our
times—whether 9-11 and its aftermath, the imminence of war
in the Middle East, hunger and starvation in Africa, cancer
and depression in our families—and to remember that God is
the ultimate victor. God wins!
Imagine
a people driven out of their land by an occupying foreign
power, traveling by foot and donkey cart over rugged mountains
with only the most meager of belongings. They are forced to
live in a barren place with different values and traditions,
never feeling welcome and, in fact, always treated as
outcasts. The hardest part was not knowing when or whether
they will ever return to their homeland. Where is God in this?
Imagine
an evil and ruthless emperor, famous for cruelty to his own
subjects, overrunning and persecuting minorities within his
kingdom, threatening to carry out the most heinous of
catastrophes. Where is God in this?
Who
are we talking about? The Kurds, the Jews of Daniel’s time,
the Jews of our time. Daniel is recalling the exile experience
as he writes to the Jews suffering under the cruel regime of
Antiochus Epiphanes during the time of the Maccabees, offering
a word of hope in the midst of despair. For Daniel and his
sect of Judaism, his words provided needed encouragement to
continue with the struggle to remain faithful even when Torah
scrolls were being burned, circumcised babies were being hung
around their dead mothers’ necks, and a madman occupied the
throne. Daniel’s message, as that of Jesus, is that God wins
and evil has been trumped.
Imagine
a young man rotting in a dark, damp, cockroach-infested prison
with rancid food and guards who are indifferent to human life,
and then writing to friends and family warning them of
persecution while offering a word of hope at the writer’s
darkest hour. Where is God in this?
Still
haven’t experienced the good news? Be patient. These
vignettes are all true, all real, all about the human
condition. Stories of despair? Yes. Resignation? Yes.
Revelation? Yes, by all means. Are these tales of death row or
Jesus, 9-11 or 70 AD, Kurds or Jews, a member of this
congregation writing a clergy person from a jail cell or John
of Patmos writing from a Roman jail to the persecuted
Christians, a Saddam Hussein, a Caligula or an Antiochus
Epiphanes? Yes and yes.
Whether
personal, historic or ripped from the headlines, these
examples are all apocalyptic stories. What do you think of
when you hear the word “apocalypse?” Death and destruction
ushering in the end of times! You are not alone. These are
frightening stories drawn from real life. In her book, Amazing
Grace, Kathleen Norris reflects on the scripture
passages you just heard a moment ago from the Book of Daniel
and the Gospel of Mark. She opens her chapter entitled
“Apocalypse” with a quote from Czeslaw Milosz: “I have
lived in apocalyptic times, in an apocalyptic century.” We
live in apocalyptic times. Jesus lived in apocalyptic times.
The first disciples lived in apocalyptic times. Our parents
and grandparents lived in apocalyptic times. Yet, here we are
to tell the continuing story. We have heard Daniel addressing
the nation of Israel at a time of persecution by a tyrant,
Jesus on the road to Calvary weeping over the pending
destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, John of Patmos writing
from prison to the persecuted Christians, in each case
offering hope to their respective communities. What words of
hope, you say? Be patient, I hope to get there.
Kathleen
Norris continues: “For some reason, we human beings seem to
learn best how to love when we are a bit broken.” Although
we associate apocalypse with dire visions and images of death,
destruction and catastrophe, the word in fact derives from the
Greek and means to reveal. What is being revealed? What
do they reveal about God? She tells us that apocalyptic
literature flourishes in times of national crisis when hope
seems remote and despair seems the order of the day. What’s
new? Norris continues: “Apocalypse is meant to bring us to
our senses, allowing us a sobering, and usually painful,
glimpse of what is possible in the new lives we build from the
ashes of the old.”
Mark
is trying to comfort believers who not only suffer but who
must also try to interpret events that seem to contradict the
expectations of those who trust in God. Clear evidence of
trust in the faithfulness of God is our faithfulness in work
as peacemakers and reconcilers. This is the meaning of
Mark’s reporting of Jesus’ admonition to be alert, be
awake. We are the witnesses to the faith. If you listen
carefully to Mark, Jesus is issuing a series of warnings
against deceptive signs of the end times as he says the “end
is still to come.” (Mark13:7) The historical signs
which many people associate with the end of the world have
also repeated themselves countless times. In his Interpreters
commentary on the Gospel of Mark, Lamar Williamson writes:
“This chapter (Mark 13) speaks to those who expect too much
and to those who expect too little. It is especially pertinent
for those who have forgotten to expect anything at all.”
If
you are one who is looking for signs and predictions of the
end of the age, there is a wonderful story about an eclipse of
the sun in colonial New England during which time state
legislators panicked and several moved to adjourn in
anticipation that this was the beginning of the end. But one
of them said: “Mr. Speaker, if it is not the end of the
world and we adjourn, we shall appear to be fools. If it is
the end of the world, I should choose to be found doing my
duty.”
In
our covenant group, after we have shared our stories, a
frequently-asked question is: Where was God in your situation?
A frequent question of my generation is: Where was God during
the Vietnam conflict? Listen for where I found God.
From
1964-1968, I served in the US Navy during the time of the
Vietnam War and was an Aide and Flag Lieutenant (Executive
Assistant, to those not familiar with naval-ese) to the
Commander Service Group Three, a two star Rear Admiral who
commanded 50-plus service-type ships operating in the Tonkin
Gulf (ships such as oilers, ammunition, food, repair, ocean-
going tugs, salvage and miscellaneous surveillance ships). The
Admiral, who was the commander, had served in Saigon, Vietnam,
as the senior naval officer for four years as Commander Naval
Forces Vietnam (COMNAV V). While on duty in Saigon, his wife
back in the States was diagnosed with cancer. He was on an
unaccompanied tour in Vietnam, and his expertise was still
needed by the Navy for the war effort. He was reassigned to
Japan so that his
wife could join him for what was thought to be their final
tour together. Where is God in this? She is still alive today,
35 years later.
One day in
January 1967, the Admiral and I were embarked on the USS Mars,
a food supply ship. On a hot, muggy day (they all seemed to be
that in Vietnam), we were anchored off Danang, resupplying the
naval base there. The Admiral’s eldest son, about whom I had
heard so many stories of paternal pride, was commanding a
forward unit in the jungle near Danang. He was the eldest, a
Naval Academy graduate like his father, a decorated Marine
Captain. On the occasion of the Admiral’s 55th birthday, I
arranged for his son to be with him as a birthday present. A
helicopter from the ship was dispatched to a jungle clearing
to pick up his son and bring him out to the ship for a meal
with his father. It was a joyous occasion, the food on a food
supply ship being definitely better than jungle rations. After
this brief visit, the Admiral and I accompanied his son on the
helicopter trip back to the jungle clearing. We swooped low
over the tree tops, which seemed to be an endless sea of
green. Almost miraculously, a hidden clearing opened up
beneath us, just large enough for a helicopter to land. The
Admiral’s son— bedecked in full combat gear, ammo strapped
to his sides, jungle-camouflaged fatigues and his M-14 rifle
cocked at the ready—descended the steps of the helicopter
while his dad stood at the top of the stairs. Son gave dad a
crisp military salute (which was returned by dad), did an
about-face and marched briskly into the jungle underbrush,
never looking back as our helicopter lifted off. At the very
moment of the salute exchange, a chill ran up my spine as the
love and pride of father and son was so evident. The salute of
respect reminded me of the kiss of peace. It was an intimate
moment I was blessed to share.
Two
days later, as we were steaming back to Subic Bay, the
Philippines, to be re-supplied, an Urgent Sensitive
Admiral’s Eyes Only message was received. As was the custom,
the message was delivered to me to be taken to the Admiral. I
delivered it to the Admiral and stayed as he opened it,
because he often asked me to write a response to such
messages. The message was devastating. It read: “Your son
has been killed in action.” The moment of grace and
revelation was that I had been privileged to experience the
last and lasting expression of love between a father and son.
As the days and weeks passed, I watched a father grieve,
drawing upon his faith reserves, exhorting his family to be
faithful—not unlike Daniel exhorting the Jews to keep the
faith in the midst of horror. I was privileged to be present
with the Admiral over the subsequent weeks and observe through
the years how he and his immediate family supported a widow
back in San Diego (with two small children and one on the way)
to help her rebuild her life. They encouraged her to date, and
when she found another man and was blessed with another child,
her new husband and child were welcomed into the family with
open arms and love.
One of the
functions of a naval commander is the ceremonial courtesy call
on the local naval commander. So, soon after the Admiral had
arrived at this command, I arranged to call on the local
Japanese naval commander in Sasebo, who was also a Rear
Admiral. After the usual pleasantries and endless cups of
green tea in a drafty building on a cool winter day, the
conversation got around to where they had been in World War
II. The US Admiral explained that he commanded a
submarine—for which he sported a chest full of medals—that
was pursuing Japanese destroyers in the Philippine Sea. The
Japanese Admiral listened intently as the interpreter talked
and then began to ask: “And when was that?”
“1944-1945,” was the answer. “What battle?” “Battle
of the Philippine Sea.” After a few questions of that
nature, it became clear to both men that they had been enemies
trying to hunt and kill each other. Here on a cold, windy day
in the winter of 1966, the hunters had found each other—22
years later. Not as combatants, but as allies. The Japanese
Admiral had commanded a destroyer that was hunting US subs,
while the US Admiral was commanding a sub searching out
Japanese destroyers.
Here were
two men who had faced each other on opposite sides in war. It
was clear that two professionals could let the enmity of the
war be put aside and talk dispassionately about times gone by,
both agreeing that never again should there be war between
their two countries. When they got up to say good-bye, the
bowing of each to the other was low and long, signifying the
utmost respect. Their meeting concluded with crisp salutes.
Once again the salute of respect, the kiss of peace.
Reconciliation and revelation out of the horror of war. They
had finally caught each other, talking not fighting, not in
war but in peace.
Where
is God? Listen once again to the word of God from the same
passages we read earlier.
“But
at that time your people shall be delivered.” (Daniel
12:1b)
“Happy
are those who persevere…but you, go your way, and rest; you
shall rise for your reward at the end of the days.” (Daniel
12:12-13)
“And
the good news must first be proclaimed to all nations (Mark
13:10) and what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”(Mark
13:37)
“Yet
know this: the kingdom of God has come near.” (Luke 10:9)
“The
kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed;
nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it
is!’ For in fact the kingdom of God is among you!”
(Luke 17:21)
“It
is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the
end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the
spring of the water of life. Those who conquer will inherit
these things, and I will be their God and they will be my
children.” (Rev. 21:6-7)
Who knows
what tomorrow will bring? All I know is what Daniel, Mark and
John of Patmos share in the scriptures: God wins in the end!
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