Signs of the end of the age

Our Zac's Place tribal gathering (bible study) was a bit different this week. Along with the rest of the world we're having to learn how to meet virtually. For a first attempt it was great - except Sean, who was leading it - kept freezing but didn't know it so he had to repeat a lot!

Not all of Zac's people are tech savvy so there'll inevitably be a few who will miss out but we're hoping others will be able to join us next week.

We've been going through the gospel of Mark and we had reached chapter 13, entitled ... wait for it ... Signs of the end of the age. It's the bit where Jesus describes a variety of things that will happen before 'The End', and some Christians use the verses, 'there will be wars, earthquakes and famines' to suggest we are in End Times. In fact at the end of the chapter Jesus says, 'Nobody knows when the day will be except God,' and really all we have to do is be on our guard for false prophets and teachers. So instead of it being a potentially gloomy passage it became an encouraging and reassuring one.

In verse 8 Jesus says all these signs (wars etc) will be just the beginning of birth pains, which led us into a discussion about pregnancy and giving birth. It takes a long time and it gets painful. 

In the photo above I'm in the top middle and during the meeting my eye was drawn to the figure on my wall. It was made and given to me by a sculptor friend, Tina. Here's a closer photo.

I took it down from the wall and showed it to the meeting saying I believed that in the same way as the woman protectively holds her pregnant belly, so God has his arms around the world, around us, and he will continue to protect and uphold us through the birth pains. However bad it feels at the moment as Christians we believe that God is in it with us. He's not watching from afar, relishing the pain we suffer. He's in it with us.

I know lots of you don't believe in God but I hope that whatever you believe in - or don't - that you are comforted today.