Is looking for the world to end Christian?

As May 21, 2011 (the date Harold Camping and followers predict will be the end of the world) approaches, a question popped up in my head: “Is looking for the world to end Christian?” Is it a Christian ideal? Should we take part in looking ahead into the future for an apocalyptic end of the great, late planet earth? Should I look for clues in the newspaper for the end of the world? Is it Christian?

I’m not sure it is.

I understand living in light of Christ’s return but to look for the end might be a distraction to mission. I actually see no missional value to it. First, it often creates fear. I am a firm advocate that fear is not a Christian value. Although fear temporarily motivates people, eventually it wears off or creates more fear. If I fear that my father will beat me, it might make me act better for a time, but, eventually, it creates a home that constantly feels unsafe and more fear enters in. Fear is detriment to mission. Imagine if Jim Elliot feared the Waodani people or feared the end of his life, how could he ever make an impact?

Second, it creates people who “are so heavenly minded they are of no earthly good.” If the disciples kept looking up at the skies, Acts 2-28 would have never been written, and Acts would be smaller than Philemon. Third, Jesus, in his humanity, said even he doesn’t know the day or the hour (cf. Matthew 24:36). I know many evangelicals have created a platform on the end of the world, but I don’t see Jesus or the apostles doing that. It seems to me that they were too concerned with mission now. If I told you the President would be visiting some day but I don’t know when, you could either stay home and do nothing, or you could live your life and wait for him to stop by and grab a cup of coffee with you.

Let me clarify: living in light of Christ’s return is different than looking for the world to end. The first creates a sense of urgency for mission; the latter spends too much time looking at the newspaper. So, I don’t think looking for the world to end is Christian. What do you think?