I wish we’d all been ready

Overcast skies to start out this Saturday morning. I run to the nearby gym to do about 50 minutes of elliptical.

I close my eyes and listen to the Jesus freak music.

A song comes on that is talking about the second coming of Christ. This is one of those topics that I just don’t know what to make of. I just finished the book of Revelation the other day. I have probably read it half a dozen times in the last year. Sometimes I think the author may just have had a little too much ayahuasca the night before.

I just don’t catch any connection between what is in the text and modern times. I wonder if the book is more influenced by what was happening in the author’s own time. It would have been not too long after the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Jewish temple. To any Jew and especially those anticipating the second coming of their messiah, this probably seemed like the obvious time for that to happen.

All of the New Testament authors seemed to think that the second coming was immanent. Apparently we are no different. Books are always coming out claiming “this is it! It’s really happening this time.” Even at the church I attend I have heard people say how “we are living in crazy times” - referring to “end times.” I don’t know. Sure they are crazy, but are they more crazy than other times? People are crazy, I’m crazy, and weird shit is always happening.

Anyways I’m listening to this song and thinking about the whole notion of second coming. I’m also remembering another song I particularly like by Larry Norman, “I wish we’d all been ready.” It is filled with rapture images and talks about how some will be carried off to heaven and some will be left behind to a fate that is not good.

Even though I am more than ambivalent about the anticipation of a biblically literal second coming, these songs stir something inside of me. It is hard to place. I think we all long for a time when things will be made right.

The second coming is a huge pillar of the Christian faith. It’s hard to avoid or ignore. I think like most things of this magnitude there is a poetry here using words to describe things that can never be fully articulated by the human mind. We do our best with these outlandish images. The images may point to something else that is very real.

I really think that the second coming may be similar to the first in the sense that most people won’t get it when it actually happens and perhaps especially not the audience that was all gung ho about it. What if there is a second coming and then a new religion is formed around it. Or maybe an old religion is broken. I have absolutely no idea. I don’t really think about it much because I don’t see its relevance to my every day life.

Even if the conservatives are right, what? Is God going to say, “well, you got the whole second coming thing wrong. Into the lake of fire with you fella!”

Well that was a tangent! Anyhoo, I head to the beach about 9 and the clouds are beginning to clear.

When I get to the beach, the clouds are definitely heading west to sea and things are getting sunnier by the minute.

At the top of the stairs a group of what looks like jr. high kids and their parents are gathering to head down to the beach. By the time I am half way down I sense this waterfall of energy cascading down the steps. There is no walking involved here. I hear “dude I almost ate it! I just jumped down 5 steps.” Right next to me a couple kids are jump/skipping down and one exclaims, “oh everything hurts!” Well it looks to me like he is recovering quite well.

When I reach the beach it looks like the surf is up. These kids are yelling, “dude look at these waves!” “Yeah, I just learned how to duck dive!”

I’m hoping no injuries occur and their parents keep their hair.

There is quite a bit of time between sets so I make it out without having to manage any large waves breaking in front of me.

It’s turning out to be such a beautiful day and the water is warm just like it has been the last couple days.

When I reach the South end there is a fair amount of foam on the water. I’m wondering if this is because huge waves broke here in the last set or if it is just foam that wandered from the rocks further out where I see waves breaking. I’m certain now it is the later.

The waves that will eventually break on shore roll by me and lift me high to give me a view of the rock cliff being pounded by another incoming wave.

I head North now. The ocean surface is smooth today. This is a very pleasant swim and the light of the sun and blue sky play nicely with the view of Monarch Beach and Laguna to the North.

When I get to my Northern turn around point, I can see lines of large waves crashing at Salt Creek and their white water exploding upward. I see some similar activity just inshore of where I am.

I head back to finish the swim. I manage to make my way to the sand without incident.

I meet my dad for a walk and when we pass the lifeguard station at the bottom of the ramp, the red flag is up. I don’t know…I mean its big and all but not like “end times” or something!