When the World Ends: An Editorial

Johnny Cash once wrote “And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts, And I looked and behold: a pale horse. And his name, that sat on him, was Death. And Hell followed with him,” which later became the final verse for his song The Man Comes Around, a song rife with allusions to the battle of Armageddon and the end of the world. Robert Frost seemed to believe that the earth would be extinguished by humans’ own anger and hatred, characterized by the elements of fire and ice. In her novel The Last Man, Mary Shelly foresaw a world without humans, after nature swept the land with a devastating plague, killing everyone save one man. The Bible itself contains numerous passages beyond the book of Revelation that proclaim a time of great turbulence and chaos that will consume the world.

Visions of the apocalypse seem to surround human thoughts, expressing itself especially through literature and song, but are by no means limited to written texts. Recent films reflect society’s deep seated feelings about apocalyptic times and the end of mortal life. I Am Legend tells the harrowing account of the one man immune to a virus that turns humans into vampire/zombies instead of curing cancer as intended. Cloverfield introduces a monster that annihilates New York city, throwing its inhabitants into disarray and panic. The fear and uncertainty of those characters has strange parallels to similar emotions felt on that fateful September morning nearly seven years ago. The entertaining Terminator and Matrix storylines haunt our dreams with the possibility of mechanical creations revolting against their human creators, a theme common to humans and particularly Christians.

The end of the world has infiltrated the gaming generation as well, inspiring countless dystopian plots. Cortana, the artificial intelligence from the Halo trilogy, quotes T.S. Eliot’s The Hollow Men with the simple yet profound words “This is the way the world ends.” In Halo, the Master Chief and the remnants of humanity struggle to save earth from an approaching alien horde. In another science fiction saga titled Half Life, the aliens have defeated the residents of earth and occupy the planet with an iron fist.

Although modern humans might be expressing their thoughts on the end more than ancient peoples, no one should believe they were without apocalyptic nightmares. Whether the legend is true or not, the Greek philosopher described how the continent of Atlantis suffered destruction by fire and water then descended into the sea forever. In the Norse culture, the peoples’ mythology described a time when horrifying predictions would be fulfilled, referring to this coming disaster as Ragnarok. According to the myths, the fallen heroes resting in Valhalla will adorn themselves for war against the wicked giants, the old gods will lose their lives in the epic battle, and the earth will be engulfed in a mighty fire. Lastly, who could forget the terrible images of beasts and horned creatures, heralds of the end times, revealed to Daniel and Saint John the Divine in the scriptures?

It doesn’t matter when or where people search, elements of the apocalypse have penetrated society entirely. Perhaps our obsession with the end is sustained by an innate sense of guilt, driving humans to believe punishment and judgment from a greater force is justified. After witnessing the purge of humanity in a movie or reading an account of a few resilient survivors fighting against overwhelming odds to preserve their race, humans begin to experience a unique calming emotion referred to as a catharsis. The calming effects from a catharsis come from the release of tension and pressure that burdens the human conscience.

Human weakness and failure eventually lead to destruction, but what follows that? Surviving the climatic destruction fulfills a desire for redemption and allows for the rejuvenation of life. The apocalypse shows us that redemption is attainable for humans, but only at a tremendous cost. However, while humans might believe themselves deserving of a coming judgment, they find themselves worthy of survival. In nearly all of the apocalyptic trials, a remnant remains, having redeemed themselves of their misdeeds and hope to promote goodness. At the end of I Am Legend, several enclaves of humans manage to survive and find a cure to defeat the plague. During the climax of the Halo trilogy, the Master Chief and his allies defeat the alien armada and avert his peoples’ destruction, but only after the blood of billions soaks the earth. In Christian tradition after the old world has passed away, a new earth appears accompanied by a new Jerusalem, shining in the glory of God.

Ultimately, we want to believe in an end to all this deception, pride, and death that we humans perpetuate. The world without the human corruption seems highly appealing sometimes, but at least we have the gift to recognize that. It’s the same gift that makes humans worthy of survival, worthy of redemption.

-Kyle Smith, Co-Editor

Comments

[Ellen Brodersen]

Very interesting Comparisons. I enjoyed thinking about how the concept of human annihilation has tracked through out history - changing and yet staying the same from generation to generation. I wonder if the virus of Love for God and one another can stop it?

[Haley]

hey this is really good. You're a very good writer.