it's the end of the world as we know it?

For most of us the impending apocalypse was nothing more than a funny joke. We didn't sit around on May 21st awaiting the supposed return of Christ nor did we spend May 20th taking care of last minute business.

But what about the people who actually believed this guy?

Followers who slept, ate and breathed this guys message. People who sincerely believed that their time on earth was coming to an end. That the apocalypse was actually going to happen on May 21st 2011 at 6 pm.

Most Christians are going to simply shake their heads in disappointment at these people and point out Matthew 24:36 - "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone." Others who are perhaps atheist or agnostic will draw the conclusion that these poor people wanted nothing more than to have something to believe in and boy did they ever choose the wrong thing!

This kind of thinking has happened before and is surely going to happen time and time again. It's just simple human fact that sometimes we choose the wrong thing to believe in.

Some of us, more than others, have this giant urge to "BELIEVE". We want something to fill our hearts and minds with, something bigger and greater than ourselves to put our faith and hope into.

If we should learn anything from these kinds of groups it's that belief can be a powerful thing. In times past when these various end of the world type groups faced an apocalypse that didn't happen usually about a third of the group continue to feel just as strongly and continue to follow their leader without even flinching.

To this self proclaimed "doubting Thomas" this is an unbelievable reaction. I can't help but look at these people and think that they have got to be some of the stupidest human beings on the planet. To have your faith disproved and your leader's teachings fall through right before your eyes should be enough to gather whatever is left of your pride and move on.

(This however is not the conclusion I think I should be drawing from this.)

If you really stop and think about it, as misplaced as I may think it is, you can't help but marvel at these people's faith. At their ability to believe in something outside of themselves. It's an unshakable belief. They don't question it, therefore leaving no room for it to be disproved. They simply "take up their cross" and follow. It's sheer lunacy. Complete surrender. Putting your every hope in the unseen. It's the kind of faith every Christian is called to have.

I know I don't have it. I know without a doubt that there is not a single thing in life that I can say I believe in that strongly.

I envy people that do.

Including perhaps these poor people. They may have been lead astray as to where to place it but you've gotta envy them that they have the power within themselves to have such complete and utter faith in the first place.