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Most of us are familiar with the image of man holding up a sign alongside the highway with the ominous words “THE END IS NEAR!” Most would dismiss this as sheer lunacy, the product of an individual who is less than mentally stable. However, take note of the following article from Decision Magazine which was recently published.
What would you do if you knew you had only 20 minutes to live?
For a few terrifying moments on Saturday, January 13, more than a million panicked inhabitants of the Hawaiian islands were suddenly and unexpectedly faced with that grim reality. At 8:07 a.m., an emergency alert was sent to cellphones across the islands with this heart-stopping text: “Ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii. Seek immediate shelter. This is not a drill.”
Within seconds, chaos and fear spread like wildfire across the island. Hawaiians knew that if the missile had been launched from North Korea—the only likely perpetrator—they had no more than 20 minutes before it traveled its 4,661 miles and exploded its nuclear warhead over the islands.
Cars hustled down the highways at perilous speeds seeking to escape congested areas. Thousands called their loved ones in tears saying what they felt were their final goodbyes. Dads and moms and children huddled together in bathtubs and prayed as they waited for the devastation to come. Some parents put their children down manhole covers, hoping to avoid the expected obliteration of virtually every object standing above ground. Some stores shut their doors and refused to allow panicked residents to seek shelter inside.
As we know now, the alert turned out to be a false alarm, the fault of a negligent government employee who chose the wrong option from a computer dropdown menu. Unfortunately, it wasn’t until 8:45—an agonizing 38 minutes later—that a second message was sent:
“There is no missile threat or danger to the State of Hawaii. Repeat. False Alarm.”
This scenario poses an interesting and perplexing question toward us all. What would you do if you knew that you had only 20 minutes to live? While most of us will probably never be privy to this kind of knowledge, it does provide perspective on the ways in which we spend our time and the value we place upon each passing moment. Most of us would undoubtedly rearrange today’s schedule if we knew for certainty that it would be our last. I am not suggesting that today’s activities are unimportant; but are they most important? While there is certainly an importance to faithfulness in the mundane activities of life (duties around the house, showing up for work, eating a meal, getting a good night’s rest, etc.), is our involvement in these activities reflecting an eternal perspective?
The reality of the matter regarding the timing of the end is abundantly clear. Jesus’ last words in the New Testament provide a shock to the seemingly endless motion of our lives—“Surely I am coming soon” (Revelation 22:20)! His words prepare us to be ready at a moment’s notice. This is precisely why Moses would make it his prayer to God to “teach us to number our days that we may get a heart wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).
I do not know if any one of us has 20 minutes or 20 years (or even longer) until the end. I know only that at this very point in history we are closer to the end than we have ever been. May we take notice. Let us prepare today to be ready.
Living to be ready,
Jason