I Will Survive

 

Cue up the music.

Though Gloria Gaynor’s disco anthem, I Will Survive seems to tell the straightforward story of a women unwilling to put up with a cheating partner, it is more.  It is more than a simple story of surviving cheating, it carries the universal themes of strength, pride, independence, and overcoming self-doubt.  It has been embraced by many groups and individuals as a anthem of glaring hope . . . of survival.  It has become my theme song as I continue to journey through this circus call life.

 

Especially after the latest eclipse of the sun.  One esteemed politician from Georgia proclaimed it and recent earthquakes on the east coast to be a message from God . . . shape up or else.  An apocalyptic message in the congresswoman’s estimation.  And . . . I survived.

 

I survived another one.  Now I don’t want to brag, but since my birth in 1958 I have now survived approximately 76 end of the world predictions and 22 “second coming” scenarios.  I have taken some of the best hits from some of the best naysayers over the years: Hal Lindsay (The Late Great Planet Earth), Billy Graham (Approaching Hoofbeats: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse), Edgar Cayce (the “Sleeping Prophet”), Jim Jones (the Kool Aid” idiot), Pat Robertson (The End of the Age),  Charles Manson, Jerry Falwell (End Time Politics), Tim LaHaye (Left Behind), Jeane Dixon, and a whole slew of religious zealots over the generations and self-proclaimed prophets.  Throw in there the infamous Y2K into the mix. 

 

I have somehow missed out on the zombie invasions.  Missed out any form of nuclear annihilation.  Side stepped all the natural calamities and disasters.  Came through the pandemic in one piece.  Dodged all the asteroid showers and space junk falling to earth.  So far have avoided any super volcanic explosion of Yellowstone.  Still have Artificial Intelligence under control . . . no invasion of robots.  You name it and I have so far steered clear of being kaput. 

 

Oh, there have been moments when I had my doubt.  Take for example the Rapture.  As a pastor, before retiring, there had been times when I got to church and waited for the congregation to arrive.  There were Sundays when few showed up to worship and I began to worry . . . worry where everyone was at.  Worry that maybe I missed the signs that the “end” had come . . . that I got left behind.  But I survived.  Usually, their reason for the dismal attendance was something better was on the television.  Think about it . . . would you rather listen to me or some flashy, millionaire evangelist?  Either way . . . I survived.

 

But I have my moments, especially in the world climate that all of us are existing in right now . . . these are crazy times.  It is easy to slip into paranoia.  Easy to interpret what is going on as “signs of the end”.  Of course, the Bible tells us that there will be “signs” that the end is near before it is all said and done.  It also said that every generation will have such “signs”.  That is enough to hang a hat on and jump into the panic that the “end is near”.

 

For example, take our nation’s politics right now.  Have you ever seen or experienced a bigger circus?  As I stated earlier, we have a congresswoman from Georgia telling us that God is sending us messages through earthquakes and an eclipse of the sun.  She said we Americans need to listen . . . or else.  The “great orange one” has equated himself as Jesus.  Makes me wonder if he might be that anti-Christ I read all about in the Bible.  Signs, signs, everywhere signs.  Ya see . . . it is easy to slip into this convoluted thinking and see the “end” coming all around you.  I’ll admit it . . . I have been guilty of such thinking from time to time.

 

But . . . I have survived.  It ain’t bragging.  It’s a fact.

 

And so have you.

 

The sun came up this morning.  The birds were singing.  People went to work and school.  People went shopping.  They were enjoying one another.  Life continued to roll.  We are all here despite the anxiety we are all feeling.  We have survived.

 

This is not the Creator’s show set on a continuous loop.  No.  This is creation set in motion and it is our choice on how it plays out.  We can jump onto the craziness of the “end is coming” band wagon or we can choose to live our lives as we have been challenged to do . . . to love and bring the family together.  The choice is ours.

 

I appreciate Miss Gaynor’s words in her song, I Will Survive, especially the chorus:

 

No, not I, I will survive

Long as I know how to love, I know I'll stay alive

I've got my life to live

And all my love to give and

I will survive

I, I, I will survive

 

It’s my mantra . . . my theme song.  You see, I have survived (once again)!  So have you.  Yea, cue up the music . . . we have survived.  Go ahead, brag!