The World is Ending: Bekah Beck
I’ve been thinking a lot about the end of the world.
Honestly, I’m excited about it. Not because I’m tired of the world as it now stands, and certainly not because I want God to hurry up and get me out of here. When I talk about the end of the world, especially at the seminary I attend, folks are quick to dismiss or misunderstand my apocalyptic yearning. This might be because the only frame of reference they have for the Second Coming is with fire and brimstone sermons from bad movies or the Left Behind book series on their grandparents’ bookshelf. Christina, my fellow seminarian and good friend, once asked me why I was so ready for this life to be over when there was so much work left for Christians to do on earth. Unhoused people still need homes, the hungry still need to be fed, and violence still needs to be stopped. I felt troubled by her immediate assumption that my excitement over Jesus’ return amounted to a Christianity that was careless and lazy. At least from my understanding of the Gospels, Jesus does not call us to such a passive lifestyle. He calls us to care for the poor and the weak and the oppressed. Christians are called to be active participants in the work of God on the earth; however, I am not under any impression that somehow my human efforts alone can manhandle the kingdom of God here.
During my time at the LA Tech Wesley Foundation, we talked a lot about the participatory nature of Christian ministry. Some plant, some water, but God gives the growth (1 Corinthians 3:6). I was incredibly fortunate to be part of this campus ministry that embodied such an understanding. There was always good, Christian work for us to do – dorm-storming, blitzing, outreaches, and missions. And, every so often, there was a time where we would come back together and remember that unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain (Psalm 127:1). These principles are what I have carried into my current work as an intern for the NC State Wesley Foundation, and they are what I think of when I look to the end of the world. Just as I am continuing to pour into the lives of students through campus ministry, I am also looking for the day when God will totally and completely fulfill the work he has begun in their lives and in the world. I am looking forward to the day when his judgements will come and justice will be done. When every wrong in the world will be seen for what it truly is and be made right by the mighty hand of God.
Not only will the work we participate in now be fulfilled in the end, but the Man whose body and blood we eat as an act of remembrance will be in front of our very eyes. The Man with flesh whom we have longed to see and hear and touch will be before us. No longer will we eat bread and drink wine under the promise that hope will not put us to shame. Our hope will reveal himself in all his beauty and glory and majesty. This hope is why I am in seminary, and it is this promise of Jesus’ return that stirs me to do the work I am called to do. I am hungry for the kingdom of heaven, and I know of no better way to spend my life than in preparation for its arrival. The great irony of all this is that we don’t really know what we’re looking for when we look to the end. We see and know only partially. It might seem foolish to desire something we don’t totally understand. Even so, we Christians pray with great anticipation, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20, CEB).
Bekah Beck is a former Wesley intern that is an endless blessing to our community. Her joyful spirit, tenacity, servant’s heart, and faithfulness have encouraged countless people in our community in their walk with Christ. She is currently in her first year at Duke Divinity School, and is currently serving at the NC State Wesley Foundation! A great friend and a lover of long walks, podcasts, and vegetables, Bekah is an example of what it looks like to live a life of faithful service to Christ.