Do Not Run in Pursuit

Readings 111325 

In the year 2000, I calmed my aunt.
She’d heard a preacher say Y2K was the end of the world.
Before that, I comforted a cousin—
troubled by a sermon on Nebuchadnezzar’s statue,
the preacher’s timeline pointing to the late 1990s as the end of times.
They were afraid.
They were sincere.
But they were misled.

How many times have we heard it?
“The end is near!”
Shouted from pulpits.
Printed in books.
Plastered on billboards.

Individuals and groups have predicted specific end-time dates
on hundreds of occasions throughout history.
In 1844, white-robed followers waited.
In 1988, there were 88 reasons.
In 1994, 2011, and even 2025—
new dates, new predictions, new disappointments.

Each time, the world didn’t end.
But something else did:
Trust. Peace. Discernment.

Jesus warned us in Luke 17:
“They will say to you, ‘Look, there he is!’ or ‘Look, here he is!’
Do not go off. Do not run in pursuit.”

Christ’s return will not be secret or sensational.
It will be like lightning across the sky—
unmistakable, undeniable, unmissable.

So do not chase signs.
Do not panic.
Wait in hope.

Stay rooted—
in sacrament,
in scripture,
in community,
in Christ.

Not in countdowns, but in communion.
Not in predictions, but in presence.

The true end is not a date on a calendar—
it is the fulfillment of God’s promise.
And the true beginning is already here—
in every act of love,
every moment of mercy,
every quiet yes to God.

Prayer: Anchored in Christ

Lord Jesus,
You are not hidden in signs or shadows,
but revealed in mercy, in love, in truth.
Keep us from chasing fear.
Root us in faith.
When voices cry “The end is near,”
teach us to listen for Your peace.
Let Your light be our guide,
Your Word our anchor,
Your presence our calm.
May we wait not in panic,
but in hope—
until the day You come,
like lightning across the sky,
and every heart knows You are Lord.
Amen.