The end of the world?

'The world's never going to end,' says my elder son, 'because it's always tomorrow in New Zealand'.

Well, tomorrow's already been and gone in N.Z., and here we still are. I'm interested, though, in how much interest and buzz there's been around the prediction that the world will end at 6 p.m. today. I believe in the Bible, although, as I understand it from the scholars, some of St. Paul's writings have been compromised and tampered with over the years. But doesn't it all come down to interpretation?

Anyhow, I'd say we humans have a lot more evolving to do before we can be taken up into heaven. I have, for sure. My concern lies around the question of how much longer the earth can go on living (see p.s. for a follow on to a recent saving energy post). Also, there's a kind of confusion, I'd say, around the word 'world'. I'm no etymologist, but presume the world comes from the Germanic 'welt'. And in German there's a distinction between 'welt' and 'erde' (earth).

When I was growing up in the Anglican church, many times I heard the words 'World without end, Amen'. So where does this fit in?? Maybe, instead of translating 'welt' to mean 'world', we should translate it to mean 'universe'? That makes a lot more sense to me.

It's almost a platitude today to say that humankind is destroying the earth. How terrible that we get used to an idea and then, slowly, the urgency of the message fades into the background. In this wonderful season of spring, when we look out on the burgeoning green leaves and can fill our eyes with the sight of beautiful, colourful blossoms and flowers, let's try and be kind to Mother Earth.

p.s. We recently installed a new hot water cylinder because ours was getting past its time. When I ran the hot water tap I found the water was literally burning hot. My husband turned the temperature gauge down once, and then once again. Apart from the danger to the children, we don't need such hot water. The use of a dishwasher provides its own, and so does the washing machine, if we need it to. So, folks, to help save the planet and lower your energy bills, turn down the heat!