Article September 1, 2013

The millennium—doom or discovery

Originally published in the June 24, 1994 issue of The Christian Science Monitor

The door swung open and there stood Max. Usually joking and happy, my teenage friend looked somber. "The world is coming to an end," he announced soberly, "and I need to know how to be ready." My heart went out to this troubled youth, who had been introduced to the warning of Armageddon, the ﬁnal conﬂict between good and evil, but had not yet looked deeply enough into the Bible to discover its powerful message of love and healing, safety and salvation.

Many people associate the prospect of impending doom with the arrival of the year 2000—the new millennium. Should we feel intimidated today by the threat of destruction? The answer to this question lies in the teachings and example of Christ Jesus. He warned his followers of war and destruction in the material world, but at the same time he urged them to recognize their spiritual dominion as the children of God. He called himself "the light of the world," John 5:9.  but he also made it clear to his followers that they must obey his example, claim their own sonship with God, and follow the light of Christ. Light illuminates and reveals man's goodness. It destroys nothing but darkness.

Jesus' healing works destroyed sin and sickness, lack and limitation, but they did not destroy man, who is spiritual. His teachings of love, meekness, and peace eliminated hatred and greed, cruelty and vengeance, but they did not destroy individual capacity to learn, grow, and advance spiritually. He healed, and told his followers to go and do likewise. What his enlightened, healing ministry revealed was God's own creation of spiritual freedom, goodness, and power. This spiritual universe is demonstrable, eternal, and will never come to an end.

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