I've been reading more in the last few days than I have in years. I've recently finished the following books: Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke, The Long Walk by Stephen King, and Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. All of these books have some critique on the human race. In the first, the human race is dominated by an alien race in order for us to reach our full potential. In the second, humanity has lapsed to taking enjoyment in the death-walk of 100 boys. The third imagines a war in the far future from the perspective of a six year old boy who is fated to become humanity's salvation. And to top it all off, today marked the predictions of a world-wide rapture by some fraction of Christians.
And as a result of these imaginings, I have found myself examining humanity from unexpected angles. We are so helplessly split. It amazes me that nations, cultures, and religions act no more civilized than cruel children on a playground. They push and shove and want the best for themselves, and have no concept of suffering outside of their own.
We pretend to be civilized, to be mature and wise. But if we look at our collective behaviors we can catch a glimpse of who we really are. Babies. This isn't the end of the world. It's the beginning. We're just starting.
So I have a goal. In these next three years of seminary, I want to research a futurist eschatology. Futurist is a simple word for someone who predicts the future. Eschatology is the study of the end. But what if the end wasn't THE END, but the end... of childhood? Of human infancy? Is there room in the Christian faith for the future of humanity?
If not, can it be imagined?
Can we afford for it not to?
0 comments:
Post a Comment