The end of the world

The world was supposed to end, according to some guy out in California, a little over a week ago, on May 21, 2011 at 6 PM. It didn't. I read in today's Washington Post that he is now saying that was the end of the SPIRITUAL world, that the end of the PHYSICAL world will be October 21, 2011--on that day the righteous will be taken up into heaven and the rest of us, or rest of you as the case may be, will be left to perish in a not pleasant way. It won't. Or at least I don't think it will. Why? Well, I don't think God is that predictable, and at several junctures God has told us that we can't predict the day or hour. Living righteously isn't something we are to do in the hope of being taken out of the world in a big cloud. We live righeously because we are striving to love God with everything we have and are and hope for, as well as manifesting that love in those around us. If we are Christians, as I am, we believe that Jesus Christ came into our world as being God and Human to serve among other things as an example of how we are to be.
The world ends and the world begins many many times in our lifetimes. The people in Joplin MO watched the end of their world as the deadliest tornadoes in US history ripped apart their homes. And yet, it was only a few days before they were rebuilding again. A divorce, a job loss, the death of a loved one, a financial setback, a psychotic break--all of these things signal the end of one world and the beginning of another. It is love that gets us from death to life.
On May 21, 2011 at 6PM I was planting rosebushes, oblivious to the notion that I might not be around to admire them. I imagine on October 21, 2011 at whatever the appointed hour is I will be doing something equally mundane, but hopefully as personally fulfilling.
My advice? Live your life as if today is your last and your first and everything in between. Don't worry about when the world will end, or whether you will be taken up or left behind. Love the best you can, and everything will be fine.