Repent! The End is Near?
By 8ball (Kim Dong-hun)
Before I start, I want you to know that I am neither into Doomsday conspiracies nor a religious fanatic preaching about the end of the world. Has it ever crossed your mind that some day the world will come to an end? Have you ever lost sleep over it?
According to a survey conducted by Ipsos in the United States, 13 percent of Korean people, and 14 percent of people worldwide, believe that the end of the world will come before they die.
People have always talked about the end of the world. However, nothing has happened so far. It all seems like a false alarm to me, a little like “The Boy who Cried Wolf”. Once again, some people are alleging that the end is near. But this time it is a bit different.
According to the Mayan Calendar, the world will end on December 21, 2012. In other words, there are fewer than seven months remaining before Doomsday. It seems like our days are literally numbered.
Nostradamus, one of the most famous prophets in history, predicted many historical events, including the assassination attempt against the Pope in the 1980s, the September 11 terror attacks, and others. But the most surprising, appalling prediction is that of the Mayans regarding the imminent end of the world.
The I Ching (or Book of Changes) from ancient China says something similar. The Book of Revelation in the Bible also mentions the end of the world. Even many Hollywood movies deal with such issues, treating us to, for example, alien invasions and attempts to eliminate mankind which lead to apocalyptic disasters across the globe, or some enormous natural disasters such as tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions, which lead to the extinction of mankind.
I asked people if they believed the world will end in their lifetime. Here are some of the responses:
“No, it won’t ever happen!”
“I am Catholic, and I don’t buy such things.”
“Hell, no!”
“No, no, no, no!!”
“Hopefully it won’t happen while I am alive.”
So should we believe it or not? I have no idea of the truth, but in my opinion, regardless of the outcome, we have to live every day of our life to the fullest, instead of worrying about what may or may not happen. Life is too short to worry about every single thing. Spend every moment of your life as if today is the last day and try to spend more time with your loved ones.
These are just my opinions. If you have any ideas, thoughts or opinions, then please share them with me via e-mail: eightballkim@yahoo.co.kr.