Parson to Person - The end is near

Each morning at the watering hole, Mr. Bird chirped loudly to young Mr. Frog about how the end was near.

Mr. Bird promised he would save young Mr. Frog, since his eyesight could see from the beginning to the end, and he knew the day it would all begin to end. Later each morning when the elephants and hippos would come to the watering hole, young Mr. Frog would croak about what he heard from the bird saying, ?The end is coming. Heed this warning!?

The elephant always worried the frog was right. The hippo just yawned and rolled his big eyes, but he always listened.

The zebras overhead all this talk about the end of the world and it worried them. They began to only associate with others who had stripes like theirs. The giraffes heard the rumors, too. So, they stuck their necks out to watch for anything that looked like danger. They saw everything as a sign that Mr. Bird was right.

The giraffes began to take all the leaves they could from every tree. The hippos and elephants saw the giraffes stowing food, so they fortified the watering hole so that no giraffes or zebras could access it. These things worried the elephant so much that she cried all day.

Young Mr. Frog said, ?Don?t worry. Mr. Bird said he knew it was coming. He will save us.?

By the next morning, the stories of wars and rumors of war spread. The young Mr. Frog croaked about the monkeys fighting the giraffes over the trees, and how some gazelles horned a water buffalo for being in their part of the safari.

Then young Mr. Frog said, ?Mr. Bird please tell us what to do since you can see all.?

Mr. Bird said, ?Today is the day. Let?s fly away.? And off he flew. The end.

Mark 13:5-6, 21-23 says, ?Then Jesus began to say to them, ?When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. And if anyone says to you at that time, ?Look! Here is the Messiah!? or ?Look! There he is! ? Do not believe it. But be alert; I have already told you everything.?

Very often scripture is quoted or misquoted to fit current events to show that indeed the end is near. It can give an odd comfort to explain the unexplainable. But Jesus has already told us what to do, ?We are to love God with our whole hearts, our whole minds, and with all of our strength.? We are also to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness for all and love our neighbors as ourselves.

Do not worry about the end, but worry about showing love today for God and neighbor.