Well, it’s 6 o’clock somewhere, and people are still all over this place. So, it’s safe to say that The Rapture didn’t happen. That’s the biggest problem with prophecies, I find. They never come true. It can be frustrating, especially when it’s such an awesome prophecy! It’s like an orphan asking Santa for a Dino-Riders T-Rex and Krulos set.

I think unhappiness is unfulfilled desire. And this lack of prophetic fulfillment has made me somewhat unhappy. Despite being a firm non-believer, I gave in to irrational thoughts because the possibilities were so great. In the back of my mind, I knew it was too good to be true, but I had to have hope. The advertisements were so seductive!

First, Doomsday would have brought with it sheer awesomeness in the form of destruction. Supposedly an earthquake like no other would rip through our world. Yes, there would have been a downside to it, but think of the positive! It would have been a refreshing change, not just to the dull, familiar landscape of planet Earth, but everything. When you’re in a rut, sometimes you just need to shake things up a bit.

Of course, the biggest disappointment for me is that the Christians are still here. They’ve been here all my life. I’ve grown accustom to them, and while they still annoy and frustrate me, for the most part I don’t think much of it. But here they go around saying, “Hey, guys. God’s coming back for us tomorrow. Take care of my dog, will ya?” I have to admit that made me a bit hopeful. Even though I knew that Christianity has a terrible track record when it comes to being accurate, they’re due for a win finally. If you spout enough crazy crap, eventually you’ll say something that’s true.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t their time. Just like past Rapture predictions, Adam and Eve, talking snakes and bushes, parting seas, an unmoving Earth, circumcision, bats and the diet of snakes, believers got it wrong.

Another great let down about this unfulfilled prophecy is our civilization still stands. Sure, several Christians would have likely been left behind. How many actually follow the Word of God? But I’m an optimist. I’d like to think the Rapture would destroy civilization, that those of us who survive would live in the tribulations of a societal breakdown. Chances are we would move on, fill the newly vacant positions with qualified heathens and continue our selfish, meaningless existence. Despite that, I hoped, even prayed, for a scenario reminiscent of I Am Legend.

The world is overpopulated. Our culture is inflated with undue pride and our government bodies are diseased with a malignant cancer of lies and inefficiency. An apocalypse is an opportunity for rebirth, for a revelation of human intellect.

That might have meant a bit of Mad Max or Postman like tough-guy action. But what’s so bad about that? Our lives (those of us not in Heaven) would be like the movies! It would be one of the most interesting events to live through. You’d have stories to tell, if you survived the Thunderdome. Then, eventually would come the rebuilding. There’s definitely room for improvement, and we could learn from our mistakes.

So, even though today was a disappointment, we mustn’t abandon all hope. There are far more realistic threats to our existence. Unfortunately, most of those are probably lifetimes away. Until then, let’s hope the Mayans knew what they were doing.

UPDATE: Some people are saying that it should happen at 6:00 pm PST. That means there could still be hope! However, I heard that it’s happening at 6:00 pm in every timezone (a rolling Earthquake, essentially). The Family Radio website appears to be down (perhaps Raptured?), so I can’t check with them. I did the math myself, though, and highly believe it’s on a rolling schedule. Of course, maybe there just are no Christians outside of America. That wouldn’t surprise us. Keeping my fingers crossed in the meantime.

