It is one of the greatest songs ever written, sung by the amazing Meatloaf, with assistance from Ellen Foley – Paradise by the Dashboard Light. If you know the lyrics, you might agree that this is masterful storytelling, not only because the words are so intelligent, but because of the twist at the end. Once Meatloaf gets what he wants, he realizes that the cost was too high and now it’s too late to go back on his promises. He sings, with deep sadness and frustration and anger, “So now I’m praying for the end of time to hurry up and arrive…” Some things are not worth the price; a tough lesson to learn once it’s too late to go back.
For over a hundred years, there has been a growing segment of the population that has been praying for the end of time. They believe that Jesus is coming back in our lifetime, and their fervor has translated to massive attempts to save souls. This spiritual pyramid scam is at the center of their entire existence, leading them to ignore the teachings of the very one they believe they are waiting for. Jesus taught His disciples to pray to God for their daily bread, but these modern-day hypocrites care little for feeding the hungry or caring for the poor. Their motivation to do any good at all comes from their hope to earn a place in heaven when Jesus returns with His army of angels to kill most of the population. The God of Love? Too woke. They worship a god of violence and are pining for Armageddon – they are yearning for the bloodbath described in Revelation. They are praying for the end of time.
This perversion of my religion has wormed its way into every fabric of our society, and this is dangerous in too many ways. Sec. of Defense Pete Hegseth is telling soldiers that this war with Iran is God’s war. Evangelicals have been pumping money into Israel for decades to prepare for Jesus’ return. All the while, those of us who they say will be left behind are scratching our heads, wondering how in God’s name this got so bad! This isn’t benign – their process was planned long ago with the goal of dominating America for this bloodthirsty Jesus at the center of all of it. A new Jerusalem for the Kingdom of God, right here in North America. They have been in powerful positions in our government for decades, and they are done praying for the end of time – now they are trying to force it to happen. If they succeed, we will all pay the price.
Prayer – Holy God, forgive us for allowing Your words of love to be twisted into demonic action. Show us how to make this stop. Amen.
Today’s art is the cover of Meatloaf’s album, “Bat out of Hell”. The artist is Richard Corben, who died in 2020.