You're Crazy

For the present form of this world is passing away.

 - From 1 Corinthians 7

The scriptural excerpt that I am using today, has the phrase "passing away." We  talk about people "passing away," but what we actually mean is that they died. We think it sounds nicer, but we find it awkward to just say, straight up and biblically, that someone died.

In fact, when used in Scripture, "passing away" seems, almost always, to be referring to something bad that has gotten it's rightful due. He "passed away," meaning, his life was a whiff that came and went . . . and soon he will be forgotten, as well he should. 

Pass away - - - drift back into nothingness and no one will miss you. 

Or "fly away," which actually refers to the way a bird enters into our sight and field of attention, but then flits away beyond our view. In moments, we have forgotten there ever was a bird in our midst.

The present form of the world is passing away. Meaning, not that something nice and soft is going to happen to the earth. No . . . it's going to be gone and forgotten, and good riddance!

Paul states that, since this is the case . . . what are we so worried about so many pointless things for?

Probably because we don't want people to think we're crazy. Act as if I have no wife, or husband, when I do? What's that supposed to mean? Stop making deals and contracts in the world? What? Pretend like we have no possessions? 

You must be crazy! Here, I'll just continue acting according to the world's present state.

Now . . . it's probably true that what is really meant here, is that our attitudes should be as Paul mentioned. Of course we still have homes to maintain and bills to pay. 

But if we were convinced the world really was going to change into something more like the Garden of Eden . . . what changes would we make? Would we really retire early and take more vacations?

Or would we give more of our time and money, to people that really need it?

What would a crazy person do?