(OPINION) PNW – With all the restrictions and societal changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, I found myself longing for the “carefree” days of 2019 when everything was “normal.” Perhaps you’ve felt the same way. Of course, 2019 was far from perfect. It had its own problems and stresses, but only in comparison to 2020 do we think of 2019 as “the good old days.” And that got me thinking… This seems to be happening a lot lately.
We’ve had no less than three of these events in the past 20 years. If you’re old enough to remember, it was a different world before September 11, 2001. After September 11th, collective fear increased. All sorts of restrictions and protective measures were put in place. Where would the next terrorist threat come from? Many long for the relatively simple days of life before that terrible day.
Then in 2008, the Great Recession hit. Many people lost their jobs, and among those who didn’t, fear of an impending layoff increased. Many longed for the “simpler” times of the post-September 11th years. Now, here we are in 2020. We’re in the middle of a global pandemic, and many long for a return to their pre-pandemic lives. None of this should surprise us.
Jesus said the days before His return will follow this exact pattern. He likened them to birth pains (Matthew 24:3-8). This means, as with labor contractions, we’ll see these types of events increase in frequency and strength as we approach the end of this age. What we’re seeing today are the birth pains Jesus warned about. READ MORE
