So What -- er, So WATCH, you don't know when the Son of Man Comes

I was teaching a Sunday School class during seminary. It was one of the requirements for the Master of Divinity -- a class in Christian Education that included hands on work as a teacher.

We had to write our own curriculum and one day I had the children memorize a Bible verse: Matthew 24:44: "So watch, you don't know when the Son of Man comes."

The kids memorized perfectly.

Almost.

One kid memorized, "So what, you don't know when the Son of Man comes."

Jesus tells us to WATCH and be prepared for His return, but we also need to always be alert for ANYTHING. There are always unexpected dangers, opportunities and challenges in our lives.

I saw the new television show INVASION last night. Good fiction. Enjoyable. But watching the people get ready for the hurricane was a joke. Nobody prepares for a hurricane when the wind is blowing or the rain is falling. Do TV producers really think that is the way it is?

No.

You prepare for the hurricane in the most beautiful weather you can imagine.

The sky is a deep blue.

The wind is calm.

And only space technology reveals the danger that is coming.

After Katrina people asked, "Why didn't the people evacuate?"

Watching the people evacuate from Rita, I fear that people will soon understand why you don't always evacuate. Try moving millions on an interstate system. What you need are Star Trek transporters.

I worry that people will be stranded in the path of the storm.

I worry about the people running out of gas and panicking.

I worry about those who think they have selected a good route, only to see the storm change directions and head for them.

The hours ahead are times for prayers.