|
AS MY wife and I rolled along a local road toward a shopping center, she calmly reminded me of a forgotten chore. It was a task started by myself that morning, but not completed. She pointed with accusing finger at the digital time readout of the truck radio. She said instructionally, “You forgot this one.” Not being interested enough in her words to take my eyes off the road ahead, but knowing instantly what she was talking about, I said, “I’ll get it later.” She sarcastically returned, “Sure… and we’ll be too early for our next appointment. It’ll be your fault.” The job about which she chided me was to turn the clock back. I’d started that morning with good intent. First was the bedside clock, then I reset the one on the electric stove. After that the watch on my wrist was reset. Lastly, I checked my cell phone, but thanks to the benevolence of hovering computer nerds I was covered. With that final check of my phone, the household clocks were completely re-tuned for wintertime. However, the clock in the truck was not. Consequently, we found ourselves chugging along that morning on future time. My wife, being the daughter of a union-exactness-measuring-road-building boss... was NOT happy. Though being married for decades and long in the tooth, I foolishly offered, “Well, it’s not the end of the world you know.” A brief pause ensued as I turned a corner in our Chevy pickup toward the distant shopping mall. Then, my female resident alarmist said, “While I am shopping in the store, take the time to reset the clock. Punctuality is a virtue and you my love… are out of time.” With that wifely apocalyptic prediction laid out, she walked away singing a hillbilly banjo rendition of “Constant Sorrow”. It had just played on the radio. I sat therefore in the parking lot trying my best to remember how to change the digital clock readout. I soon cursed |
|
Digitally Driven? |
|
the fact that vehicle manufacturers no longer put owner’s manuals in the glove boxes of vehicles. So I dove into an internet search for such action for Chevrolet trucks on my cell phone. That’s when I got side-tracked by my churchly curiosity. We old folks get distracted easily. I was lured to go down a long, well-traveled road. You see, as I searched to change my radio for Daylight “Saving Time”… I came across some written prattle concerning the “End of Days”. As a pastor, I know that many upcoming scripture readings for the final “Sundays of the Church” calendar contain some real prophetic words about the “end” times. Because of this fact and the end of this calendar year approaches like an F-1 race car running hard … I mentally got dragged far from the job at hand. I started to read more… and got quite uncomfortable about what was written. |
|
“At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time; but at that time your people shall be delivered, every one whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.” (Daniel 12:1-3) |
