Recently making the rounds of viral media was an article about an asteroid that has a “chance” of hitting the Earth by December 22, 2032.
The “chance,” according to news outlets, is around 1.3 percent.
This is a scenario where the young folks would say “so you’re saying there’s a chance”.
Books have been written, movies have been made, and so on about fictional scenarios such as that of an asteroid coming into contact with our planet.
Spoiler alerts: They are usually in the disaster genre and don’t go or end well.
While there is only a minute chance of contact, just about everyone knows what would happen if it did happen — not good. If you don’t believe me, ask a dinosaur.
When faced with this small possibility — or perhaps just a chance to be “ironic” or “sarcastic” — the social media comments to these articles all had the same general message.
I’m paraphrasing them at best, but the feedback looked like: “GREAT!”, “Bring it on!”, “It can’t come soon enough!”, “Could it hit [insert desired municipality] first?”, “Can it happen this year?”, or other general statements feeling no lament over the end of humanity or the potential destruction of our planet.
Again, these comments are but a small snapshot and sliver of humanity, but I found it uncomfortable and troubling that all I saw was a cheering on and welcoming of an Armageddon.
Pondering life
I know we are all going to die of something someday.
People are going to die today that didn’t know they were going to die today.
People are going to die tomorrow that didn’t know they were going to die tomorrow.
You get the idea.
I’m sure I’ve written about this before but I believe as a people of God and a people of life, we owe it to everyone and everything to not carelessly live every day with a “meh, gotta die of something” attitude.
Think of all of the good works that would never be done if we just dwelt in life with a “Nah, I might die today” mindset.
The same thing goes for this asteroid potential.
I’ll never stand in the way of God’s will (er, let’s leave my personal life out of this) and if He wants to will a catastrophic event in December of 2032, so be it, but think of all of the good that would never happen if we’d just shrug away said asteroid hitting us.
I know everyone is frustrated with the world, country, and so on, but are we not worth trying or saving anymore?
When faced with an eject button on the whole thing, that becomes the better option?
Even as a cynical response, many were told “you might die near the end of 2032” and they responded with “cool”.
2032, 2033, and beyond
I am totally accepting of the possibility that I am reading way too much into this.
Or perhaps I feel alone in not seeing anyone else share my “Are we going to do something about this if it becomes a great possibility?” attitude.
Either way, where is the love for life?
A lot can happen between now and December of 2032.
We’ll have two more presidential elections, several more Super Bowls, new art and artists being created, new scientific discoveries, new causes for celebration, new unexpected tragedies, new ways people find to cope and harm themselves, new ways to divide ourselves further while perfecting the old ways, and new ways to come together while rediscovering the old ways.
By the time the month and year in question come, everyone may have forgotten about the danger (or Hollywood will make a big budget disaster movie about it — remember all of those 2012-related films?), but it would be interesting to see if the casual attitudes are the same about the slim chance of impending doom.
Will we still live in a world where most of humanity says “let it happen” to a big crushing rock heading right for us?
Or might we live in a world where we calmly work together to find the best solution to the problem, if there is one?
I don’t want the asteroid to hit us in December of 2032 nor do I want to die in December of 2032 or tomorrow or the next day (same for the asteroid, stay away), but I do know I have to accept it if it’s His will.
That’s all we need concern ourselves with every day — accepting His will.
Before that, we have to get better at knowing what His will is and recognizing His will.
It sounds like we have a lot to do. Can we get it all done before December 22, 2032?
Thank you for reading.
I’m praying for you.