Diocese of Liverpool

Thought for the Day, 25 April 2003

The Rt Rev. James Jones

Good morning.

Saw a bumper-sticker the other day on the back of a lorry: “JESUS IS COMING – LOOK BUSY!” My daughters tell me there are even fashionable T-Shirts with the same message. Thoughts seem to be turning to the end of the world!

Just as we were getting over the threat of weapons of mass destruction, a deadly and invisible virus strikes.

Sars displaces Saddam as the threat to world order. Panic grips Beijing, Hong Kong's airport is deserted, Toronto is made a no-go area by the World Health Organisation.

The virus is coming!

This is not just Tabloid Terror.

Serious minds are beginning to ask radical questions about our ability to survive. Martin Rees, the Astronomer Royal and renowned astro-physicist has written a new book called: “Our Final Century : Will the Human Race survive the 21st Century?” His conclusion is that we have a 50-50 chance of survival.

He says that although we should be able to feed the hungry, save the planet and redistribute power globally, “We are ……….. empowering more people with the potentiality to harm on an ever-growing scale”.

This is bleak stuff!

But it's good for religion!

I've often said that when it comes to getting people to turn to God, it's not a mission strategy that will do it, but a disaster!

Don't think me cynical.

It's just that the enemy of faith in God is human self-sufficiency.

It's only when this illusion is shattered that we really open up to who we are and why on earth we're on this planet.

My guess is that as the threats to our existence multiply, so more and more will turn to hear what different religions, including the church, have to say about the future.

If this is true, then the Minster here in York, which this week decided to impose admission charges, is set to make a fortune!

But if you want to find out what Christians think will happen, turn to the Gospel of Matthew and you'll find Jesus in reflective and prophetic mood.

Hinting at all sorts of regime changes he predicts:

“Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom and there'll be famines and earthquakes in various places”.

True, he doesn't mention viruses. But he lists a familiar catalogue that will herald “the birthpangs of a new world” where the ultimate regime-change has God putting an end to all evil.

But, listen to this, Jesus adds: “And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet”.