How monkeys, zombies, and molten metal can be a source of hope

Posted by admin on Nov 27, 2010 in Issues & Ideas | 0 comments

The world is going to end. Every cultural belief system agrees on that point. People everywhere from modern-day Mexico, Norway, and Iran all have harrowing stories of natural disasters and zombie armies. Whichever of these ancient prophesies come true, rest assured that we will go out with a bang. But few people — if any — still believe in the apocalypse scenarios described here, and all this talk of death is depressing. So why read on? Even in this variety of apocalyps scenarios, you can see beyond the catastrophes and gore a glimmer of hope.

The Aztecs believed the earth was made through a trial-and-error process. The gods each tried being the sun for earth, but none of them were very good at it; sibling rivalry, pride, jealousy, and low self-esteem ruined the first four suns. In one case, a god-sun got fed up with people, turned them all into monkeys and blew them off the face of the earth. The fifth sun is still working, which can be encouraging; according to the Aztecs, everyone is learning from their mistakes and getting better. This legend also makes me more thankful for my own Christian eschatology, which, however violent and depressing, will not be a fluke or mistake of some bumbling or impetuous god.

The Vikings also had a tale fit to cause nightmares; Ragnarök, or “final destiny of the gods” will start after three terrible winters. Giant wolves will eat the sun and moon. While gods, giants, monsters, dwarves, and the dead fight each other, the serpent that is coiled around the world will start crushing it and a flood will ensue. The result of all this war is massacre on all sides; no one wins and everything perishes. Everything, that is, except for two people who will repopulate the world. Even if this world is ultimately screwed up, even the ancient Norse believed in second chances.

Zoroaster, who founded a religion in ancient Persia, also had an idea of how the world would end. His Frashokereti, or “making wonderful” is basically the theory that the world will get a big makeover in the end, in which good will triumph over evil. At that time, everyone — including the resurrected dead — will be forced to swim across a river of molten metal; the good will feel like they’re wading in warm milk, but the wicked will burn. Those who pass the test will then be made immortal and the world will function harmoniously.

So what can we learn from the history of the end of history? Whoever you are, and whatever your beliefs are, there’s got to be some element of hope, some smidgen of grace.