Live, as if... (Mark 13:1-8) by Donna Lockhart, Seminarian Intern
Donna Lockhart, Seminarian Intern
St. David’s Episcopal Church
Southfield, MI
Lessons: Mark 13:1-8
In today’s gospel reading, our attention is drawn directly to events and concerns dealing with the end of the world.
Chapter 13 of Mark’s Gospel is called by many scholars “The Little Apocalypse” for this reason and we read similar accounts of end times in Matthew 25 and Luke 21. Mark 13 begins with Jesus and the disciple’s arriving in Jerusalem.
Wide-eyed and in amazement, - the disciples took in the sights all around them, and as they are exiting the Temple, they say to Jesus, “Look teacher, what large stones and what large buildings.” Jesus replies by telling them that the very Temple they stand in awe of will be completely destroyed.
Peter, James, John, and Andrew, wondering if they had heard Jesus correctly, privately asked Jesus [as they sat on the Mount of Olives] when these things would all take place, what signs they should watch for, and when it all would come to pass.
Instead of answering all these questions, Jesus tells his disciples how they are to act and what they are to be aware of; warning them to be alert and not to be fooled by false prophets and to not be concerned when they hear of wars and rumors of such, for though this must take place, the end is still a long way off.
In the following verses, Jesus goes on to deliver a cryptic accounting and prediction of what is to come, saying “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 birthpangs.”
Even though this chapter of Mark’s gospel depicts in graphic detail all the signs and predictions of how the end times and second coming of the Lord will look like, this is not a story of how to act at the end of time as much as it is a calling to how we are to act in the present day. As the chapter fully unfolds, Jesus tells his disciples how they need to act, saying that “…the good news must be preached.”
So, what are the lessons of this apocalyptic scripture for us, in present time; especially when we hear of the very things Jesus tells us to watch for such as wars, devastating earthquakes, that demolish already ravished countries, And of tsunamis and wildfires, killing thousands of people and devouring precious resources, what are we to think? Or pandemics like COVID-19 that spread with breathtaking speed, crossing global boundaries, and targeting, at an alarming rate, the most vulnerable of our society.
When COVID was first made known to all, headlines like “Is COVID-19 Global Pandemic A Sign of the End Times?” or “COVID-19 and the Apocalypse” began to emerge and doomsday rhetoric spread as quickly as the wildfires in California. But as Jesus says, beware of false prophets and heed the signs. Is COVID-19 a sign is it the beginning of the birthpangs; perhaps, but I believe more that it is a wakeup call as to how we are to live in the present day.
As people began to die from COVID and as the virus spread, from nation to nation, country to country, neighbor to neighbor, hospitals were filled beyond capacity with some countries turning old railroad cars into field hospitals, while governments worldwide, scrambled to get the critical supplies needed to care for the sick and dying.
Schools shut down, business closed their doors, manufacturing plants were silenced, restaurants were shuttered, hospitals were without supplies, enough beds, or room in their morgues. And as the death toll rose, so did the fear.
Our houses of worship, where we come to gather, to worship, to give and receive comfort and thanksgiving, to be in community, also closed their doors. As our world was thrust into lockdown, we had to learn how to keep our communities going on every level, and as communities of faith, we had to learn how to be people of worship outside the walls of our churches like never before.
Certainly, for all intents and purposes, this seemed not like the beginning of the birthpangs and more like the last stages of labor. As the majority of the world went into quarantine to try and stop the deadly spread of the virus, we began to see the devastating effects this pandemic would have on our most vulnerable of citizens. And the blatant inequity of our country and indeed, the world, was laid bare for all to see.
Is COVID-19 a sign of the end times, I don’t believe so - I do believe however it is a call to start living intentionally in the present day, as if it were.
As the COVID numbers became public, showing where and how the different sectors of society were experiencing the onset of the virus, we witnessed the uncovering of our nation’s deepest and darkest shame; a system and structure that is NOT meant to support all people equally, but instead, one that is made to keep the privileged in a state of wellbeing while the marginalized struggle for survival.
In this light, I am thankful for COVID-19, because even in the face of such devastating loss, we were forced to take off our blinders and be shaken from our complacency. I do not believe God caused COVID, but I do believe that God, as God does, has used this devastation for our good.
In my mind’s eye, I can see God picking up every church, in every faith community, across the world, and turning them upside down saying, “Get out of these buildings and into your communities, that is where the work is, and that is where the people are.” Do I believe all that COVID-19 revealed to us is the beginning of the birth pangs? No, but I do believe with all that I am that these natural disasters, the wars that are sending refugees running for their lives, and the embarrassing exposure of our country’s white supremist racist roots are without a doubt a thunderous wake-up call for us all, especially for the majority and privileged white community.
As Isaiah says: “Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem!!!” It is time to stop waiting for the Kingdom of God, for in truth, the Kingdom of God is at hand, in the here and now. It is time to organize into a movement for change with a sense of urgency, intentionality, and purpose like never before.
The numbers don’t lie, the data is clear, the science is real. The time is upon us to make the changes required for building God’s Kingdom in the present day, this very moment. As Christians, we are called in covenant with God through our Baptismal vows to live in a state of awareness; awareness to those around us, to the injustice and inequity of our communities, our nation, indeed our world. This is what “Love your neighbor as yourself” is all about! As Christians, we are called to live in a state of “as if!”
So how do we do this? How do we join together with other likeminded people to move forward with a purpose and intentionality for justice? One way we can do this is to join with other organizations already doing this work. Through our diocese sponsored Anglican Social Justice program, I was blessed this past weekend to be in conversation with and learning from, Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis who, along with Rev. Dr. William Barber II is the co-chair of one such group; The Poor People’s Campaign.
Working closely together, Rev. Barber and Rev. Theoharis are organizing on a local and national level, the fight for justice and equity for all. The Poor People’s Campaign, [the brainchild of MLK] is a national call for a moral revival that speaks out against the systems of oppression while speaking for and with the 140 million poor and low-income people in this country.
As their website explains, The Poor People’s Campaign focuses on five interlocking injustices; which are; “The interlocking evils of systemic racism, systemic poverty, militarism/the war economy, ecological devastation, and the distorted and false narrative of Christian and religious nationalism.” In short, The Poor People’s Campaign focuses on dismantling the systems of injustice that are rampant in our capitalistic society. If these systems of injustice and dehumanization weren’t apparent to us prior to the pandemic, they were certainly laid bare for all to see at the onset and through the continued unfolding of the profound loss of life and ongoing devastation of our natural resources.
As Rev Theoharis explains; “In the midst of so much death and danger, we have an unprecedented opportunity to address these systems that keep the oppressed in a state of oppression.” [1] She says; “We, as a nation, as a movement, must break through the lie that only small changes, on one issue at a time, are possible. We must break through the lie that poverty and death are the will of God. We must break through the lie that some lives are more precious than others, that it’s impossible to unite and organize for change.” [2]
My friends, there is an urgency to actively live into what, the Poor People’s Campaign calls, a comprehensive “moral agenda” [that is fully outlined on the campaign’s website] based on the needs and demands of the 140 million poor and low-income people in this country. The time is now to live and to act as if the Kingdom of God is at hand. In the words of Frederick Douglas “It is not the light that we need, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but the thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake.”
Do I think that COVID 19 is an indication of end times? No, but I do believe that it is an incredible wake-up call and opportunity to heed the warning signs that accompany it? This is a call for us all to do some soul searching on how we are going to move forward with an intentionality that will initiate and support the lasting change that is needed to live fully into the Kingdom of God; as the children of God that we are.
The Advent season is fast approaching. This season in our church is not only a time of preparation and expectation for the remembrance and celebration of the first coming of our Lord; it is also a time that our thoughts and hearts are drawn towards the longing of our Savior’s glorious second coming.
Christian Churches around the world are simultaneously preparing for this season of expectation. And as such, I invite us all to begin thinking how we will enter this season anew; with a conviction and intentionality for preaching the good news of Christ in our present world through how we live and act as Christians one day at a time!
Let us consider: What it is that we want to do differently, what we want to keep the same? What do we want to discard, and what do we want to draw closer to us? How will we enter this season of preparation and expectation, not only in anticipation for the Christ Child, but also, in hope and promise of Christ’ second coming?
As Jesus tells us in the last verse of Mark 13:
“And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”
Amen.
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1 Theoharis, Liz, Morning Consult https://morningconsult.com/opinions/for-a-better-america-we-need-to-address-interlocking-injustices/
2 Kairós Center https://kairoscenter.org/theoharis-we-rise-together/