Not the End of the World

Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.Mark 13:5-7Mark 13 begins with the disciples marvelling at the grandeur of the Jerusalem temple. Yet Jesus had already condemned it: “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” Now, he prophesies its destruction—not one stone will be left upon another. When the disciples ask when this will happen, Jesus answers.The imagery in Mark 13 refers to the fall of the Temple, not the end of the world. Yet it prompts us to consider how disciples should endure upheaval. We may not be witnessing the world’s end, but we may be seeing the collapse of familiar structures.Some of what we admire may be what God is dismantling—or allowing to fall. Yet this is no call to despair or withdrawal. Christians are called to pray for leaders, seek reform, and work for the common good, even when the church appears not to prevail. Jesus warned of trials and persecution; faithfulness comes at a cost. To declare “Jesus is Lord” is to reject false messiahs and worldly systems that demand our ultimate allegiance.But faithfulness is not isolation. The church does not exist for its own sake but to bring life to the world, as Jesus did. Every community is surrounded by deep needs—addiction, loneliness, broken families. The church must engage, listen, and respond with meaningful action.At the end of a world, we are still called to love—our neighbours and our enemies. Like the exiles in Babylon, we build, plant, and live with hope. Nations will rise against nations, but the kingdom of God remains our true foundation.