Reflection for September 2026
Knowing the end from the beginning
When I was younger and read more novels more than I do now, I would read the last chapter first, to see if it was worth reading. At least I knew where the story was going!
And what about life, if we all knew how it was all going to turn out, surely that would help us get through our lives? Many of the current generation, Gen Z, are struggling to get to grips with ‘real life’ as they are so distracted by modern living, but don’t have the tools to cope with it. They struggle with parenting, knowing what’s right or wrong, trying different techniques with varying success but finding everything very stressful, and many put off marriage for as long as possible, or possibly not at all.
They avoid big issues like death and what happens next, and that leads to more stress. They fill the void with social media and entertainment. But it’s not exclusively just the young because the whole of our society is affected. Since the pandemic people have realised their mortality, and fear has spread around our communities.
So, if we read the Bible beginning with Genesis, we can see how it all started, but how will it end? Turning to the last book of the Bible we have a glimpse of what is to come. It is also part of the teaching of Jesus, when he talks about the ‘end times’. But Revelation is not an easy read, and it may feel like the writer is on something suspicious!
Back to Jesus, what did he say? That a final day is definitely coming and there will be a reckoning. We need to be prepared for that day, and expecting it. We don’t know when it will come, and nobody can put a date on it. So, what can we do now to prepare for the future and give us peace in our everyday life? It seems people have been getting it wrong from the beginning, but it’s what we do about our mistakes that counts. We all fall short of meeting God’s commands, but a careful reading of Scripture shows that we can still attain that place in God’s Kingdom on the final day. The thief who died with Jesus at Calvary was assured of his place in heaven. Peter, who strenuously denied knowing Jesus in His darkest hour, was forgiven and assured of eternal life.
Our Living Light reading last month put it well, “As it was in the days of Noah”, yes, everyone was living life to the full, but they were not prepared for what was to come, even though there were plenty of warnings. Likewise today, we can be so caught up with the here and now that we don’t, or choose not to, listen to the warnings.
‘The Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him! Therefore, keep watch’.
Keith Emmerson