Are you ready?
1 September 2017
Some of my students asked me the other day whether I thought that Jesus would return soon.
I was surprised by the question; I had assumed that these particular students were not overly interested in spiritual affairs. It turned out that they had read an alarmist post on social media that identified the solar eclipse, hurricane Harvey and the ongoing tension between North Korea and the USA as “signs” of the end.
Today’s gospel reminds us that the best preparation for the “end times”, whenever they occur, is a simple one; faithfulness. The bridesmaids whose oil ran out had forgotten their purpose – to greet the bridegroom – and failed to live their lives in faithfulness to that purpose. Perhaps other things distracted them, or perhaps they convinced themselves that they had a different purpose. Whatever the reason these five bridesmaids did not have their eyes on the prize!
What is your purpose? I can guarantee that it is, in some form, to love God and to love others. Have you allowed yourself to get distracted from this purpose? Today would be a good time to refocus and relight your lamp!