If the world is ending, what’s the point? 

I grew up in a family context where “the state of the world” was discussed with much passion and concern. Over dinner, in late-night living-room debates, on long car rides across Canada, around the campfire, everywhere, the dire aspects of political conflict were often debated. The conclusion I drew from these political conversations was that the world was in rough shape. The world is going south.

But I also grew up Catholic. My parents were (and still are) missionaries, who lived their lives according to the principle of sharing the Gospel wherever they went. Surrounded by people who worked daily to share the gospel message, I often heard Christ’s words from the Scriptures repeated: ““Go out into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to all of creation.” 

With this sense of missionary zeal came a sense of great hope. To share the Gospel was to share the good news, not the bad news. I understood that to be a Christian was to have hope, because we were looking forward to the beauty of heaven, even if we were surrounded by a world that seemed to be burning. 

Because of my political worldview, I can be very skeptical, and even cynical, regarding the state of the world. Because of my spiritual formation, I am hopeful for the world to come. 

As Christians, we do profess an apocalyptic faith, in the sense that we believe that our present world is bound to end and the achievement of a temporal utopia is neither our goal nor our desire. Our goal is to make the journey to heaven, not to create a perfect world with our own hands. 

As I’ve grown into young adulthood, my political pessimism and spiritual expectancy have often felt at odds. This tension has led me to ask: 

How, as Christians, do we reconcile the state of the present world with the state of the world to come?

If you are someone who is inclined to see the world as inevitably devolving into a state of chaos and vice, it can be difficult to maintain a spirit of evangelistic zeal. If the world is persistent in rejecting Christ, it can be tempting to disengage with the call to share the Gospel message. After all, what’s the point, if there doesn’t seem to be a lot of hope for bringing back a Christian culture? 

How do we stay engaged with evangelistic zeal, when our efforts seem thwarted at every turn? 

Taking these questions to prayer, there are three responses that come to mind: 

First, Jesus demonstrated perseverance even when it felt hopeless.

Moments before Jesus ascends into heaven, he says to the disciples, “Lo, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Mt 28:20) He knew the heaviness and tension of what his disciples were going to face in their earthly lives going forward, but his last words to them were a reassurance of his persistent presence. 

A quick glance at the current news can deceptively give us a sense that Christ is absent. The world is burning and the King has abdicated. It can be tempting to slip into an evangelical apathy that sees the chaos of the world and becomes overwhelmed or despondent.  But our Christian faith, centred by the physical presence of the Eucharist, tirelessly proclaims that the Lord is with us, until the “end of the age.” 

If the Lord is present, then his spirit of glory and power is present in the world. If that is so, then hope is with us! If the Lord is present, then as his disciples, we are called to be present too. If the Lord is here, then it is not time to disengage.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus asked his disciples to stay up with him in his hour of tribulation, and instead they fell asleep. The Lord is here, “until the end of the age” and he is asking us to remain with him. Will we fall asleep? Rather than disengaging or despairing, it is time to lean into the power and serenity of Christ’s presence, even if we feel like “like there is no point, because it’s going so badly anyway.” 

Secondly, we are called to “stay in it.”

Christ also tells us to “watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. “ (Mt 25:13) Looking at the state of the world, it may seem that the “world is ending.” However, as Christians we are called to be vigilant, while also maintaining a humble awareness of what we do not know. We are called to be attentive to the signs of the times (Mark 13:7-8), while also acknowledging that we do not know the precise times that the Lord has in mind. 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that “the Church is missionary by very nature.” To be a missionary is to proclaim the Gospel and to proclaim the Gospel, we must engage with the world. Our identity as missionaries remains intact, no matter how bad things get on earth. Proclaiming the Gospel amid a culture that is resistant to Christ and an era of political chaos is not easy, but our identity remains. To be Christian is to remain engaged. Staying engaged can look like many different things, but the calling to “stay in it” remains. 

Finally, to be a Christian is to embrace Christ’s mandate to “go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.” He didn’t say “some of the nations.” He didn’t say “go proclaim the Gospel only when it’s easy or when things are going well.” Jesus commissioned us to pursue the redemption of all humanity, and that Great Commission has not evaporated. 

Amidst all political upheaval and cultural distaste for Christianity, it’s understandable to feel like it might be time to pack up our evangelical bags and head out. But the presence of the Lord persists and our missionary identity remains. 

Lord, help us to remain alert and to present with you on earth, “even to the end of the age.”