So the trumpets are blaring and the news hounds and houndlets are off on the chase. This time it is the prediction that the rapture will happen on May 21st this year.
Someone none of us heard of before, Harold Camping, a radio preacher, has determined that at 6PM PDT, May 21, 2011, the rapture will occur. Aside from the idea of the rapture being the result of one of the strangest readings of bits and pieces of the Holy Scriptures, the whole thing gives God a bad name.
And beside that, I am busy on the 21st. And precisely at 9 PM Eastern Daylight Time I plan to be bringing a good day to an end, it being my birthday. Normally birthdays are less and less interesting or important as years go by, but my hope is that at the end of this one no one I love will have been taken up up and away, and that I will not have been taken either (by death or rapture).
Episcopal Cafe has a nice story on all this, "T-minus 168 hours and counting...? I'm not counting on it, and not counting towards it. I'm not even counting years (much) except to say that the years have been good and I feel blessed.
Well, on May 21st I may be around to say Happy Birthday. On the off chance I'm ruptured, Happy Birthday Mark!
ReplyDeletePues, caramba, I will have a special glass of Zacapa ron on the 21st to celebrate your birthday. And then since I am taking the train to BWI (if I can just get a ticket...!!!), I can bring some Flor or Barbancourt to celebrate in person.
ReplyDeleteWell Mark, at least you can, for your birthday, PAR-TAY like there's no tomorrow! ;-p
ReplyDeleteUntil this post, I did not realize that you and my wife shared birthdays, Father Harris. With you on the East Coast, and us on the Pacific, we will have this event covered -- a very merry, happy birthday to you!
ReplyDeleteShould a "rapture" occur (outside of normal marital relations), let us promise that either the rapturee, or the one "left behind", will be the first to put up a post describing the sensations of same -- and if nothing happens, then let us both drink a late-night toast to the world's continuing on its merry way for a little while longer.
A.S.Haley...Happy Birthday to your wife and a thank you to you for a gracious and lovely note.
ReplyDeleteAs well as mine Mark im just confused its on our birht day is thats a sign persay?
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday, Father Harris! And it being past 6 PM in the East Coast, I guess it's safe to say the rapture didn't happen there either (it's past midnight here in Western Europe)
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