Searching for Number One

My book, newly published and out on Amazon in both print and e-book format started its life as the 333,000th best seller. By the evening, it had soared to 70,000th best seller. I am on pace for hitting number one before the world ends.

According to the hype, the Mayans predicted the world ends Dec. 21, 2012. From the brief research I did, which almost assures it is inaccurate, the Mayans never predicted a cataclysmic end on that date. They had a "short"calendar, that roughly translated to a person's lifetime expectancy, and then they did some ingenious math to string together a "long" calendar...and that long calendar ends on Dec. 21, 2012. Somehow, people decided that meant the Mayans had predicted the end of the world, when in reality, all it meant is that they would need to tack up a new calendar on Dec. 22.

This is good news for me on a few levels. First, I am not at all excited about a cataclysmic end to the world before I have grandchildren, or graduate my last one out of homeschool. After twenty years of this job, I want to see how it ends. Secondly, if I do reach number 1, I want to have time to bask in the glory of it all.

However, the Bible also makes it quite clear that there will be an apocalyptic end to earth as we know it. We are clearly advised not to dwell on that, nor to try to figure out when it will be. It is unknowable. But we are told to be ready. Now that seems somewhat contradictory. Be ready for an event that you don't know when it will happen. It might not even happen in your life time, but be ready anyway. The more I thought about that, the more interesting a dilemma that produced for me. Being ready is not easy. Being ready means having in the back of my mind that at any moment it will be time, and my last moment on earth may be here. Will I have ended my sojourn speaking words of kindness or words of acrimony? Will I have had the last touch of a human being be one of gentleness and love, or one of cold harshness? Will I have been smiling in the last memory everyone will carry of me...or scowling? I don't know about you all, but I don't live life well with the assured conviction that it might be my last moment. Yet, I should. I should always treat others as though it were the last memory they would have of me....because it really could be, even if the whole world doesn't end. My world could end any time. Any of our worlds could.

And simultaneously with that certainty that the world will end and this is just a temporary home, the Bible reminds us that we are to live our lives fully. We are not supposed to just sit around moping, watching the sky for little winged animals with teeth like razors to come streaking from the gates of Hell. We are to live victoriously, as though we have all the promise of tomorrow. It is like living and working to bring my book to number one, just in time to have all the bookshelves annihilated.

How is this possible? To live in expectation of both abundant life and certain death? KIng Solomon went through a depressive episode where he said it was not possible. Hedonism was the only solution, for nothing had meaning if life were ultimately only to end in a puff of dust. However, Paul of the New Testament had a cheerier conclusion. He recognized death comes to all, but he also made a startling claim- "To die is gain." In dying to self, we become alive to the very presence of God.
Having a number one book will pale in the magnificent light of standing with all God's creation as one Spirit, striving together as one for His glory.

Still, if everyone reading this hurries and orders my book today, I might be catapulted to 35,000 best selling book, making my job of happily treating each possible moment as my last a whole lot easier.

Philippians 1:21-24, 27

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel.


-Everything is possible with God