down.” And they asked him, “Master, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about
to take place?”

Jesus said, “Take care not to be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he; the
time is near at hand!’ Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and troubled times, don’t be
frightened; for all these things must happen first, even though the end is not so soon.”

And Jesus said, “Nations will fight each other and kingdom will oppose kingdom. There will be
great earthquakes, famines and plagues; in many places strange and terrifying signs from
heaven will be seen.

Reflect:

Observe Jesus speaking of apocalyptic times and events in a matter-of-fact fashion. He is able
to do so, precisely because he has perspective and sees the larger picture. When the 2004
earthquake and tsunami caused immense tragedy, many people asked: “How can a ‘good
God’ allow these terrible things to happen?” Whereas no one can negate the scale of loss and
suffering, the observation by Dutch geologist Jelle Zeilinga de Boer may help us see the bigger
picture. Earthquakes happen when plates within the earth separate, crack, and run over each
other. As a consequence, magmas form at the depths of the earth, which are then thrown up to
the surface, releasing nutrients and water, which makes life possible and sustainable on earth.
A long view of time and nature helps us see these events in perspective and trust God, even as
we use the God-given scientific temper to reduce the tragic consequences.

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