We seem to go through periods of “end of the world” fears. The end of the Mayan Calendar in 2012, Y2K, and Wikipedia reveals a whole host of other predictions that have been happening for centuries. With all of the periodic “end of the world” fear, A Course in Miracles (ACIM) has a gentle answer to the question, “How will the world end?”

ACIM says that just as the separation occurred over millions of years, the process of the “last judgement” will occur over millions of years too. The “last judgement” is when we choose to look on all that we’ve made, and keep only the Love. The rest we decide we don’t want, and so it disappears.

When not one thought of sin remains, the world is over. It will not be destroyed nor attacked nor even touched. It will merely cease to seem to be.

“When not one thought of sin remains” seems like quite a feat! (The Course defines sin as “lack of love.”) And we don’t need to look much farther than our own minds to notice how many times our egos react with a lack of love.

The world has an important purpose right now. We’re learning how to choose for Love, and how to let our Inner Guide in. We’re learning that what we think brings happiness (identifying with our ego), brings pain, and what we think brings pain (letting go of our ego) actually brings immeasurable joy.

If you feel like you’re not ready to let go of the world, you’re not alone! It is going to be here as long as we want it to be. And it is OKAY that we want it! That’s why we came here. But slowly, very gradually, we decide that there must be a better way. And we come to recognize our True Self is who we really are.

We’ve got a lot of work to do. And so I don’t think the world will be ending anytime soon.  🙂

ACIM References:
“A Course in Miracles” (FIP version)
Manual for Teachers (in the back of the book): Part 14 “How will the world end?” (p. 36-37)
Text Chapter 2 Part 8, “The Meaning of the Last Judgment” (p.33)