Prepping for the Impending Apocalypse

 By Justin Poythress - Posted at Reformation21:

Published February 20, 2024

Stanley Kubrick made the movie Dr. Strangelove as a joke in 1964. His dark comedy took aim at the fragile egos of politicians in the U.S. and U.S.S.R. that threatened to push our world over the precipice of a nuclear winter during the Cold War. Though Soviet hostilities have dissipated, the joke still isn’t as funny as one would wish because an apocalypse still feels closer than one would hope.

Climate disasters, AI ascendency, a global pandemic, and roving bands of violent ideologues have moved beyond the bounds of science fiction. The breakdown of civility and human decency serves as supporting evidence for the four out of ten Americans who now believe we’re living in the end times.

The church must disciple Christians to prepare in the right way for the right thing. Jesus tells his followers to prepare for his return at the end like we would for a wedding party. (Mt 25:1-13) A soul filled with God’s presence is better preparation than a pantry filled with canned veggies.

Prepper Movement

The prepper movement didn’t emerge overnight. For a long time, I dismissed apocalypse preppers as fringe fanatics who’d lost their way while wading through the sewers of the dark web. But a movement that used to merit an eye-roll now swims in the mainstream. Its adherents have no shortage of valid reasons for concern. What we do with our worries is the question.

The market for doomsday bunkers has expanded beyond eccentric billionaires. You, too, can provide peace of mind for your family by securing a luxury survival condo. This accommodation comes with a lower price point than a private bunker and the added benefit of the company of other foresighted individuals (weapons and dry food arsenal not included). How well and how long such accommodations would serve if the power grid were knocked out is a hazy question, but you’ll at least have purchased a mental fortress to assuage your current anxiety.

A pastor friend of mine told me about a church that took him on a tour of their facilities. It concluded in their steel-reinforced war room, stocked with guns, food, and video cameras.

What is a healthy level of preparation? No one wants to land in a crisis they could have prevented, but equally important is the message Christians send about the hope and confidence that Jesus promises.

Continue here.