LET ME preface this feedback to Prof. Randy David’s Dec. 23 column (“When prophecy fails”), with a disclaimer: I am not a professional instructor in Ancient Writings, i.e., the Scriptures. Rather, what I would admit to is, I am earnestly into biblical studies, both of the Old and the New Testaments.
Yehey! The world did not end last Dec. 21! The sun is still shining, the trees and plants are still growing, the birds still sing and butterflies still fly and bees still buzz, flowers are still colorful and fragrant, the wind still caresses tree leaves and branches, clouds still sail in the sky, waves still rush to the shore, the earth still spins—all’s right with the world.
I glance at the sky for signs of anything unusual. Just a while ago, the noontime sky was slightly overcast. Now, a steady breeze is whooshing in from the northeast and is all but dispelling the low-hanging clouds. The sun is out, and I am starting to regret that I woke up too late this morning to go motorcycling or bird-watching.
Either we’re devout Christians or we won’t let anything, especially a minor thing like the end of the world, get in the way of our Christmas preparations. The resolute foraging into tiangge in search of the perfect, and cheap, gift is in full swing, with no one particularly minding the possible intrusion of the end of the world before the gift-giving on Noche Buena or Christmas Eve. The Mayan calendar presumably predicts that to happen on Dec. 21.
THIS WEEK, two things were predicted to happen. One was the end of the world last Saturday, the other was the super-typhoon that was supposed to hit us yesterday. A fitting background to my turning senior citizen tomorrow. I’m writing this in the morning of Wednesday, and Metro Manila at least has shown little sign [...]
