In our world today with its
readily accessible portable
digital technology a new noun
has arisen in our vocabulary
called “Doomscrolling” which
the Collins online dictionary
defines simply as being “the
activity of searching web
pages for worrying content.”
Most of us will have portable
mobile device, Smartphones
or iPhones with a plethora of
news apps from which the
latest depressing news is
piped direct to our jacket
pockets.
Psychologists warn of the
dangers of having an
obsessive interest in the
“negative”, but also explain
that our tendency to do so is
part of our survival
mechanism in anticipating
potential dangers so that we
can avoid them. Dr Ken
Yeager, PhD, a psychiatrist at
the Ohio State University,
warns that “The overall
impact doomscrolling has on
people can vary, but typically,
it can make you feel extra
anxious, depressed and
isolated.”
In many ways scrolling
through the depressing list of
threats against humanity in
general and the followers of
Christ in particular listed in
Matt 24 and its sister
passages in Luke 21 and
Mark 13 resembles the
content on our mobile phone
news apps. I would like to
argue today, however, that
Jesus’s teaching found here
should be a source of
encouragement rather than a
cause for anxiety, depression
and isolation.
What!!!? How can, “Nations
rising against nations,
kingdoms against kingdom,
famines and earthquakes” be
a source of encouragement?
The answer I believe is found
in v 6, “See to it that you are
not alarmed. Such things
must happen.” The only
thing which is missing from
the depressing list of world
events in Matt 24 is
catastrophic floods, climate
change, raging wild-fires
teenage school shootings,
human trafficking and drug
misuse.
I think if we were to hand our
phones over to Jesus today,
he would shake his head with
sadness and say, “What did I
tell you?”
These things must happen.
The war in Ukraine, the
between Israel and Hamas
are inevitable. Earthquakes
in Nepal, Morocco, Northern
Turkey and Afghanistan are
inevitable. Hurricane force
winds in the South of
England, tornadoes off the
coast of the channel islands
and wild fires in Colorado, the
Greek Islands and Australia
are all inevitable. Destruction
of Churches in Pakistan,
inevitable, but why? Why
must these things happen?
Two reasons: Firstly the Fall
in Genesis chapter 3, echoed
later in Romans 8 and
secondly the fury of satan
described in Revelation
12:12.
When humanity fell from
grace in Genesis 3, Creation
itself became “cursed.”
““Cursed is the ground
because of you.” (Gen 3:17).
Picking up Jesus’s metaphor
about childbirth in Matt 24:8,
St Paul writes in Rom 8:22,
“We know that the whole
creation has been groaning
as in the pains of childbirth
right up to the present time.”
When humanity fell, so did
the earth. Creation cannot
wait until the curse is lifted,
but until then writhes in
agony. But in addition to the
fallenness of Creation is the
vindictive activity of satan on
earth. Open warfare in
heaven between Michael and
his angels and the ancient
adversary satan depicted as
huge dragon or serpent is
described in detail in
Revelation chapter 12. Satan
and the dark angels who
sided with him are thrown out
of heaven and cast to the
earth and he is angry.
“Woe to the earth and the
sea, because the devil has
gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his
time is short” (Rev 12:12)
Satan wages war against us
by inciting rebellion and
hatred against God and his
Church. Violence,
discrimination, hatred,
corruption, lust for power,
abuse and oppression is
exactly what he wants.
These things must happen
because Creation is cursed
and satan is full of fury
because he knows his time is
short. Matt 24 tells us not to
be “alarmed”, but also not to
be complacent.
Some commentators identify
sections of this passage
which may indicate that it
was written in retrospect to
the siege and destruction of
Jerusalem in AD 70 by the
Romans. The reference to
these signs and portents
heralding the return of Christ
occurring before the “passing
away” of the “current”
generation in v 34 seems to
point to it having been edited
as a means of providing hope
for the persecuted early
Christians, but in his own
word Jesus admits that only
the Father “Knows the dates
and times when these things
will occur” v 36.
This so called “Olivet
discourse” delivered by Jesus
on the Mount of Olives
overlooking Jerusalem was
so important that all three
synoptic gospels, Matteher,
Mark and Luke included it
word for word almost
identically in their gospel
accounts. So we know
things are going to get bad
before they get good, but
what should we do about it?
We have transitioned from
late Summer into Autumn and
Winter is just around the
corner. During the Summer
months we enjoyed being
outside, but now it is
tempting to stay inside and
simply watch the rain trickle
down our window panes.
The thing is there are still jobs
to be done despite the colder
weather and darker days.
wood and groceries to get in,
leaves to sweep, but also
golden Autumn leaves to
enjoy in-between showers.
The only thing to do on a wet
and stormy day when there
are important jobs to do is
wrap up warmly and put on a
wet-proof jacket, slip on your
wellies and get on with it.
Despite the appalling things
we read on our phones it is
not the time for drawing the
curtains and pretending it is
not happening. Millions of
people around the globe are
suffering because of
Creation’s curse and satan’s
fury. Many people are dying
without hope. Many
vulnerable people “alarmed”
by these signs are victim to
strange and dangerous
religious cults and false
messiahs who capitalise on
these events as a means of
persuading would-be
followers. Some are even
siding with satan oblivious to
the fact that doing so imperils
them now and in eternity.
The stark reality from Jesus’s
teaching in Matt 24 is that
things are only going to get
worse.
Matt 24 warns us to put on
our wet weather gear and get
on with the job spiritually.
When the going gets tough,
the tough get going and the
faithful stay faithful.
So my brothers and sisters
“doomscrolling” may have
harmful psychological effects
on those who indulge in it,
but don’t let the depressing
content on our phones drive
us to depression, instead let
it drive us to our knees in
prayer. As conditions in the
world deteriorate and the
world’s people find
themselves betrayed by their
false philosophies and world-
views, they will look to us to
see where we find our hope.
Let them and Jesus find us
suited and booted despite
the awful conditions and not
only living lives in expectant
joy for the return of Christ,
evidencing the joy we have in
him in the midst of a world
gone mad.
Amen.