I see that Harold Camping, a man for whom I experienced a couple of days of deep sympathy, is at it again – revising his dates, missing the point (The point being that this is not about points, that the kingdom of God is more analogue than digital), and hoping that he can get the same momentum behind him that he had last week.

In the meantime, we have wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes in diverse places, and all the other sorts of trouble we've been having for the last 2000 years since Jesus predicted it and admonished us not to be disturbed — or impatient.

We may not be able to expect Camping to relinquish his stubbornness or his board to fire him. We may not be able to rescue those who will continue to follow him or those who have lost their faith as a result of doing so. We may not be able to stop all the prognosticators, usurpers, or manipulators of the world, but we can keep on keeping on.

We can be assured that God is still as present among us as always, that God is still working in this world, that good news is still good news, and the kingdom of God is still about light penetrating darkness, good overcoming evil, grace winning over judgment, love conquering hate, and God's Messiah being Lord of All.

It is still about bearing a cross by bearing the burdens of others. It is still about proclaiming a righteousness that comes through faith, and it is still about serving the poor in spirit and in this world's goods.

We are called to live in compassion and integrity and to bear witness without asking for special favors or preference. We are called to be the people of God.

And some day, in His own time, and His own way, in a way we can neither predict nor prevent, God will bring all of this to the appropriate fruition and evaluation when the kingdoms of this world become the Kingdom of of his Christ and He shall reign forever and ever – King of Kings and Lord of Lords … forever and ever.