Garden

      A few days back, ER posted about people who were working to bring about the end of the world. (See here.) He dismissed them by calling them "crazy." Maybe from his perspective, but I disagree.
      First, I know those people well. I was raised in a church that preached from The Late Great Planet Earth by Hal Lindsey and other End Times works. These people were not crazy. They fervently believed the end of the world was right around the corner, and they needed to get everyone saved before the Rapture. Films like A Thief in the Night and A Distant Thunder only fueled their convictions.
      When I was a pre-teen, I remember listening to ministers talk convincingly about the possibility of the Rapture taking place the very next day or even in the next few seconds. And I would think and pray, "Not yet, Lord, not yet." I still had things to do. I wanted a girlfriend, a career, nice things, children, and then the Christ could return when I was at death's door in my 50's. (Fifty being, of course, incredibly old in my mind then.)
      Naturally these ministers had all sorts of theories about when the Apocalypse was going to take place. They would point out events in Bible that seemed to correspond with events taking place in world as fulfillment of prophecy. They had number schemes and hidden codes long before the Da Vinci Code ever reared its empty head.
      As far as I know, none of these people ever drank poisoned Kool-Aid or stood on a mountaintop like Homer Simpson waiting for God. But they all shared an important characteristic with the loonies: Namely that they didn't have any hope for this world.
      Let's be clear on what I'm saying here. People who passionately work for the End Times do not believe the world can get better. They believe that it's going to continue to get worse until it falls into a pit of war, disease, starvation and despair. They believe that the only hope we have is that if God appears and saves us. They have no faith in humanity. They despair. Not crazy. Despairing.
      I personally do believe in the Rapture and the End Times. I was raised that way, and I have a somewhat jaded view of humanity. However, I also believe such events are out of anyone's control, and I'm not willing to allow the eventual destruction of the world interfere with what I've got to get done here. The Bible tells us to help the sick, feed the poor, raise up the fallen and generally get off our lazy butts and work. In no place does it tell us to raise red heifers, make golden vessels or wear aluminum foil cloaks. The Bible doesn't tell us to work to make the END come about. It's more of an informative, hey, this is going to happen one day in case you wanted to know.
      It's easy to despair these days. You can watch the news and read the paper and rapidly be overwhelmed by the problems that face us. In fact, if you're not overwhelmed, then I suspect you've become so jaded that you're part of the problem. Or worse, you become angry and lash at other people. I witness this all the time from angry, vicious posters on Erudite Redneck and Casting Pearls Before Swine. I'll read something particularly harsh about conservatives on ER's blog and think, Well, that's it. I'm becoming a Republican, and then I'll read a narrow, vicious attack on liberals from a commenter on CPBS and run back to liberal side as fast as I can.
      Middle of the road. That's where I plod along. And I worry about that. The Bible talks about preferring people to be hot or cold, while those lukewarm people get spat out. I'd sure hate to think I'd end up on a puddle of spittle. I like to think that I practice a practical Christianity. One that realistically looks at the world's problems and says, "I can't feed the world, but I can work at the local food bank. I can't heal the sick, but I can work as an hospital volunteer and give money to organizations that help fight various diseases. I can't fix people's problems, but I can give them love and support so that they can find their own way." It's a backyard faith, a way of managing the world's problems by working at them locally. True change is created one person, one problem at a time.
      Practical Christianity is a way to battle despair. It's a way to channel anger into something constructive. It's a way to battle the darkness. Let the End Times come as they may. I intend to keeping doing what I'm doing as long as I can continue to do it. A few friends of mine have questioned my faith in this at times. They don't understand how I can hope and work for a better world and still hold the view that eventually the world will end in fire.
      It's not always easy. And I see many fellow Christians who don't even try. They have decided that since it's all going to end anyway and God will sort things out, then they don't have do anything except sit on their ever-expanding hineys on Sunday and nod a few amens and sing a few hymns and that's enough. It's an excuse for laziness, for being smug, for being self-righteous. However, the Bible is loaded with verses that tell us to work, to work, to work.
      Don't think it's just Christians that are lazy. I see it all the time. People who say they believe something, but don't work to make it happen. If you truly believe in something, then get out there and work for it. Love without works is dead, dead, dead.
      So my answer to despair is work for good things. Not original, of course. In fact, I think I will end this by quoting the conclusion of Candide by Voltaire, published in 1759.

      "Human grandeur," said Pangloss, "is very dangerous, if we believe the testimonies of almost all philosophers; for we find Eglon, King of Moab, was assassinated by Aod; Absalom was hanged by the hair of his head, and run through with three darts; King Nadab, son of Jeroboam, was slain by Baaza; King Ela by Zimri; Okosias by Jehu; Athaliah by Jehoiada; the Kings Jehooiakim, Jeconiah, and Zedekiah, were led into captivity: I need not tell you what was the fate of Croesus, Astyages, Darius, Dionysius of Syracuse, Pyrrhus, Perseus, Hannibal, Jugurtha, Ariovistus, Caesar, Pompey, Nero, Otho, Vitellius, Domitian, Richard II of England, Edward II, Henry VI, Richard Ill, Mary Stuart, Charles I, the three Henrys of France, and the Emperor Henry IV."
      "Neither need you tell me," said Candide, "that we must take care of our garden."
      "You are in the right," said Pangloss; "for when man was put into the garden of Eden, it was with an intent to dress it; and this proves that man was not born to be idle."
      "Work then without disputing," said Martin; "it is the only way to render life supportable."
      The little society, one and all, entered into this laudable design and set themselves to exert their different talents. The little piece of ground yielded them a plentiful crop. Cunegund indeed was very ugly, but she became an excellent hand at pastrywork: Pacquette embroidered; the old woman had the care of the linen. There was none, down to Brother Giroflee, but did some service; he was a very good carpenter, and became an honest man. Pangloss used now and then to say to Candide:
      "There is a concatenation of all events in the best of possible worlds; for, in short, had you not been kicked out of a fine castle for the love of Miss Cunegund; had you not been put into the Inquisition; had you not traveled over America on foot; had you not run the Baron through the body; and had you not lost all your sheep, which you brought from the good country of El Dorado, you would not have been here to eat preserved citrons and pistachio nuts."
      "Excellently observed," answered Candide; "but let us cultivate our garden."

      That's good advice, don't you think? I do. See you in the garden.