It has been a most interesting if not leery Christmas Season in the United States. Before the Fiscal Cliff and the Sandy Hook School shooting, people had concern about the Mayan Calendar ending and have been interpreting it to mean that the world is going to end on December 21, 2012.
It just goes to show that humans are interested in spiritual matters. Over the course of human history, when there is something that challenges one's existence, people will mull over the spiritual--especially when it has to do with the end.
With specific concern over the Mayan "Long Count" Calendar cycle ending, officials in Argentina have cut off access to Uritorco Mountain through December 22 to prevent people from committing suicide because they would be interpreting the end of this cycle to be the "apocalypse." Uritorco Mountain was apparently a sacred spot for the indigenous (Mayan) people. Although this will be dated quickly the following site was full of good information (http://www.news.com.au/features/mayan-apocalypse-2012/argentina-shuts-uritorco-mountain-for-fear-of-maya-linked-suicides/story-fngjq0bi-1226540067814)
I am sure that people all over the world are asking: What if they are right? It is only human. The good news is that I have not met anyone who is freaking out over this.
However, the end of the world is for the most part a spiritual matter. It makes us ask significant questions about who we are in this world and what we believe.
Dancing with Hopelessness and Meaninglessness.
When people consider the end of the world, it can feel stressful. Thoughts are not sterile--they bring feelings. People can feel panicked or despaired. The end means that what you have is gone. The end means you and all you value are gone. The ones you love are gone. By about this time, someone will likely begin to dance with hopelessness and meaninglessness.
We go back to the power of thoughts. They are merely our mind in action but they can motivate us to act in strong and maybe permanent ways. Some people contemplate suicide as part of the hopelessness and meaningless when the mind goes there.
Hopefully we find ways not to dance in that spot for too long. Most of us seem are able to move our mind out of that zone.
Perspective: Not the First and Not the Last
However, we in western society (maybe more North American society) seem to visit this fairly often. From time to time we learn about "doomsday cults" who get publicized either before or after they act.
Some of us older people will remember the Jonestown mass suicide in 1978 where Jim Jones convinced over 900 of his followers who went down with him to his utopia in Guyana to commit suicide because of expected doom, and the term "drink the kool-aid" took on a new meaning.
More recently, the "Heaven's Gate" cult committed suicide together in 1997. They were worried that the earth was going to be wiped clean and they apparently believed that they were going to be transferred to some extraterrestrial body.
Christianity has had its share of dwelling on the end. There are a number of "televangelists" on TV who spend all of their air time talking about the end. The Left Behind series sold millions of books and spawned a number of movies. Harold Camping, founder of Family Radio was the last major figure to make a public prediction when the rapture was supposed to come and the world was to end (and he was the brunt of jokes for it too).
There have been many making predictions and there will others making predictions as to the end. While I think Harold Camping made his erroneous predictions out of conviction, I think that some people saw an opportunity to sell some books. There will some other milestone in the future that some will see an economic opportunity to make a buck.
Seeking Meaning and Peace
In a generic spiritual sense, we hopefully look at the end as a way of measuring what is meaningful to us. Pondering the end of your life is a very good barometer of what you value and see as important in the here and now.
I have heard this over and over again, if you were going to die, I am inclined that you would not ask for someone to bring you your gold and valuables to take with you. You instead would ask for your loved ones to come to see you. Why not make plans to see the people you love at Christmas?
We feel peace when we do what matters to us. We feel a sense of fulfillment when we are engaging in what we value and when we hold to our values.
If you are feeling anxiety about the Mayan Calendar, I cannot get you over the hump, but I would encourage you not to dwell on it. My favorite Wayne Dyer quotation that comes to mind is:
It makes no sense to worry about things you have no control over because there's nothing you can do about them, and why worry about things you do control? The activity of worrying keeps you immobilized. (Your Erroneous Zones)
Getting Biblical
If you will allow me to get Biblical here, as a Christian, I hold that it is fruitless to try and predict the end of the world or when Jesus Christ is coming back to earth. Jesus told his disciples before his crucifixion that
No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the
Son, but only the Father. (Mark 13:32) (NIV)
Jesus told his disciples to continue living godly lives in preparation. What matters was how they lived.
We at Christmas are remembering how this Jesus came to earth as a Baby. Sometimes we forget that the baby grew up and did incredible things for the world . . including us.
Concluding thoughts
Yeah, the Mayan calendar had me review what I believe about the end.
Here is what I have concluded: My life is in God's hands. If God doesn't come back I expect to be alive and I expect to finally get to that Christmas shopping I have been putting off. I also figure that I will come up with something else to write each of the next three days.
I wish you peace and fulfillment in what matters to you now.
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