There is a best-selling series of "Christian" Left Behind novels which focus on the prospects of a day when Christ returns and the unrepentant are not swept up in the Rapture. I have tried to read a couple just to understand the phenomenon, but they annoy me so much I can't get past the first chapters. They claim to be Christian, but the scare tactics and picture of a vengeful God and Christ consigning the vast majority of the world to hell is not biblical in my opinion. What is truly scary is that many people read these books as gospel --literally.
I thought about being left behind after tornadoes swept through areas of the United States a few days ago. There were heart-breaking stories of children snatched from the protective arms of parents because the force of the vortex was just too powerful. Stunned survivors lamented the loss of neighbours and neighbourhoods. These poor souls will probably never overcome their sense of loss and deserve our prayers.
We're told that the band of destructive tornadoes was the worst recorded for early March and some experts suggest that they may be a product of climate change. For some reason folk will enthusiastically read fiction about Christ's return and the disastrous results, but deny that human activity could be creating a very different Left Behind phenomenon which would affect every nook and cranny of the planet.
As Christians we want to live with hope rather than fear, because Jesus invited us repeatedly to live beyond fear. It seems to me that hopeful living is responsible living and care for creation.
Thoughts?
6 comments:
I remember socializing with a family who just loved the Left Behind series. They really wanted to share their world view with me. I was truly fearful I may be forced to borrow a copy out of politeness and that I would later be forced out of politeness to prove I had read it. I applaud you for getting past the cover page. I felt I just couldn't do it. I felt a physical revulsion that was hard to cope with. It was akin to not wanting to offend a dinner host who is insisting on serving you monkey brains and you thanking them for such an unexpected and delicious treat.
ok, I should probably explain that in another entirly different social gathering, another family offered me monkey brains, and had the moneky brains actually been put in front of me, this family was so beautiful and gracious that I would have done my best not to faint. As it was, there was a language barrier, and so when the daughter demonstrated knocking monkeys unconscious with her fist as they bobbed up and down out of an imaginery pot, the only words I truly understood were "kerplunkie, kerplunkie" and the dish we were actually eating was most likely some kind of chicken. Even so, I held it in my mouth for a long long time, then excused myself to use the restroom where I learned more than I ever wanted to about bulemia. But don't ask me to read the Left Behind series, I will not do it - ever, even for you David.
Sounds alarming.
That was chimply amazing.
What I take from these exchanges is that if we put a monkey in a room with a computer long enough it will have the brains to come up with a better novel than the Left Behind series.
Thanks all!
You guys should go on the road!!!
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