A few years ago, when I was 12 or 13, I turned on the TV and found myself watching a news-magazine special on the end of the world. The program included segments on Nostradamus’ predictions, religious views on the end of time, and near-death experiences in which people had glimpses of apocalypse. There were:
This mishmash of Christian, Islamic, Native-American and secular views, which aired on a major network, agreed on one thing -- the world was going to end in 2000, the year I was to graduate from high school.
During a commercial, overwhelmed by fear, I began to cry. My mother heard me, and reassured me every generation had feared the world would end.
"We are still here," she said, and told me that if the world did end, God would care for us.
After our discussion, I felt much better. But the TV stayed off for the rest of the night.
As a teenager set to graduate in 2000, I am surrounded by peers who have doubts as to whether they will live beyond high school. In January, when our youth group discussed possible topics for meetings, the end of the world was at the top of everyone’s list.
The media fuels my generation’s doubts about the future. We are increasingly seeing tabloid headlines such as "Signs of the End Times? 17 Events That Signal Christ’s Return by the Year 2000!"
This summer alone, we were barraged by movies in which the earth is destroyed by asteroids and New York City by a giant lizard. "The Truman Show" provokes paranoia as one man’s life is a TV show and "X-Files" shows us our government covering up an alien invasion.
The number of television shows and specials that encourage end-time panic is growing. Even the soap opera jumped on board with one carrying a Titanic-style storyline in which a tsunami -- a huge wave created by an earthquake -- overturned a cruise ship, and the characters fought for their lives to escape the capsized ship.
Is the world really coming to an end?
The threats of human-caused environmental problems such as El Nino, holes in the earth’s ozone layer and global warming are increasingly debated. Biological warfare is a terrifying possibility. The threat of nuclear warfare remains. There are biblical passages with references to end times.
Is the end of our world at hand?
I tend to think not. Our society has had problems since Day 1. Humans aren’t perfect and never will be.
God loves this world and loves us. As messed up a place as this world can be, I think we’re stuck with it for awhile. God doesn’t give up, and neither should we.
We should be making this world a safer place in every way we can. We should be taking a stand against hatred in all its forms, bringing an end to racism, sexism and heterosexism. We should be creating a world in which everyone can be economically safe, where no one can be rich while others are starving. We should be creating a world in which children can be safe wherever they go, and don’t have to work to support their families.
Armageddon?
No, God won’t let us give up that easily.
Tim Jones-Yelvington, 16, is a member of Memorial United Methodist Church in White Plains, N.Y., and a member of the New York Conference Council on Youth Ministries.