Do you know what the title of the book of Revelation refers to? Revelation is not about reveling, but about “that which is revealed.” In the book of Revelation, God reveals to the apostle John a fantastic vision. Biblical scholars have long debated how we should interpret the vision’s imagery. Is it literal or is it symbolic? Is it meant primarily for the original audience of Christians living in the Roman Empire in the last first century, or is it meant for us today? Those debates have led many to wonder, “Are we living in the end times?”
Over the years I’ve heard preachers, pastors, pundits on the national and global scene, as well as people in my congregation, suggest that we are in fact living in the end times. No actually knows if the end is near, of course, as Jesus famously taught (see Matthew 24:36), but still people declare with authority that they know.
My standard response has been to invite people to imagine what life was like during the Second World War in the 1940s. The recent film about Dietrich Bonhoeffer (which was panned for its unfaithfulness to the facts of Bonhoeffer’s life) motivated me to read a biography of the famous German theologian and pastor who lived in Nazi Germany. As I read about the rise of Hitler and the Nazis, I was astounded anew at their depravity. We may or may not be living in the end times, and though there is trouble in our world in 2024, it is not even close to the vile wickedness of Nazi Germany.
Yet, it would be wrong of me to say, “Life in the 1940s was so horrible, that we in 2024 should not be concerned, anxious, or stressed out, at all.” We can be grateful that we are not living during the Nazi reign of terror, and at the same time we can be concerned about the world now. To that end, I point to something Bonhoeffer called hilaritas.
He wrote about hilaritas when he was imprisoned by the Nazis for 2+ years, at the end of which they hanged him. As you can imagine, hilaritas is related to our English words hilarious or hilarity. Bonhoeffer was suggesting that in the middle of what was for him truly the end of the world, there is a possibility of hilarity, of joy. It reminds of the REM song, “It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.” How is that possible?
Join me back here on Monday, as we talk about how it is possible to have hilaritas right now, whether it is the end or not. If you’d like, read Philippians ahead of time. Yes, the whole book. You can read it in one sitting of 30 minutes or less. Look for hilaritas!
Photo by Mandy Ferrer on Unsplash
Engaging Scripture 