A Black Rook in Rainy Weather

Summary

I don’t particularly like thinking about the end times. For this year in the liturgical season, Advent 1 is apocalyptic. I understand, and yet, I’d rather not.  I grew up in a tradition that spoke of the end times most Sundays. I remember a particularly rousing sermon being given by our pastor telling us that environmentalists were worrywarts for telling us that we need to be more careful and loving with our environment. We were told that God is not only in control, God will take us up to Heaven before the earth’s destruction.  Absolutely no need to worry about the environment today.

This came in stark contrast to the science I was learning in school. I saw pictures of how we were causing oil spills, dumping all sorts of waste in the ocean leading to the Syringe Tide of the late 80s, and our love of paper causing the depletion of forests. I was ideologically stuck between anticipating the End Times and being apprehensive in causing damage to the earth.