I am not Orson Welles ...and this is not The War of the Worlds. Actually, a meteorite did explode into the atmosphere over central Russia, the day after Valentine's Day of this year. They did not blame it on a late, and misdirected cupid arrow ...some initially blamed it on the United States. Aside from that story, that had its own mix of part truth, and part not ,,,I will now tell my own story, but remember that I'm not Orson.

He had worked many years in the scientific community, and just last year decided to retire.  But, one who had worked so long at what he loved to do ...does not find retirement an easy transition.

Albert believes his calculations are correct, and he believes everyone in the community will trust him that that his findings are correct ...the surmounting problem that lies before him, is what to do about it.

Albert decides to get together a few close friends that he admires ....and who admire him, his pastor, and the most respected person in the community and that businessman's wife.  They meet at the church.

Albert:  "It is so good to see all of you again.  As you well know, the last time we were all together, it was my retirement party.  But, you all know that just because I retired ...I wouldn't just give up, and resort to mindless activity.  I trust you all, so what I'm about to tell you, I'd hope you'd keep within the strictest confidence.  I know I did wrong, but at this point confessing publicly to the wrong would only serve as a distraction.  So, I'm confessing to you, my dear friends."

Donald:  "Albert, dear friend, we all make mistakes.  You don't have to confess anything to me.  I've make some mistakes in the past ...we all do, so just forget it, dear friend."

Albert:   "No, I feel I have to confess.  No person should carry the respect of his peers, unless willing to admit when things are wrong.  About a year ago, I began work on a new telescope ...and last month, I launched a spacecraft into orbit around the earth with my powerful telescope.  I feel I am greatly wrong, in not having told our government about it, nor received their permission."

Pastor John:  "I know that it must have been extremely difficult for you to come forward about this, my dear friend, and I thank you for confessing it to us."

Albert:  "No, it was not difficult coming forward and confessing it to all of you ...that was the easy part, and it is very freeing to be able to talk about it.  I want to tell you what my real struggle is."

Donald:  "You've always been good with me.  Whatever it is that is bothering you, don't give it another thought.  You don't have to tell us about anything more.  I stand behind you, for whatever you feel is right ...don't let the government hold you back, my good man!"

Evelyn:  "Donald, will you just let him talk.  You don't have to trump everything he says.  If you'd just listen, he said he wants to tell us!  You'll have to forgive my husband, Albert, please proceed to tell us what you called us here to tell us."

Albert:  "It's okay, Evelyn, my urgency is not within the confines of this evening alone.  We do have time.  I just felt it was time to share my new discovery with you ...in hopes that perhaps you can help me decide what I should do with the information I am about to reveal to you.  If my calculations are correct, and I believe they are ...in two and a half years, a meteor is going to crash into the earth.  In my best estimation, it is unavoidable, and is certain to cause total destruction to our planet."

Pastor John:  "Are you sure?  I know that is somewhat a ridiculous question, because I know you well enough to know you wouldn't be telling us this ...unless you were almost positively sure.  But, what are you going to do about it?"

Albert:  "What?  Yes, that is precisely my question, to all of you.  There is nothing we can do to stop it.  The looming question is, should we tell anyone ...and whom should we tell?  Who would benefit from knowing?"

Pastor John:  "I don't think we should tell anyone.  Each and every week I give a salvation message.  That's the most important thing.  It seems now that we know the time is short ...it should be ever more pressing, but, we should not be striving for a disingenuous conversion.  They should come to the Lord through their heart ...not through panic.  And besides, there will be panic ...and lawlessness will ensue throughout the world."

Donald:  "I would prefer we tell the people now ...they have the right to know!"

Evelyn:  "Donald, there you go again!  You know that if they were to find out later, they may panic, but if they know they have a couple years ...they will act differently.  You know they will buy everything they ever dreamed of ...what they always wanted, but never purchased because everyone generally plans for their future. It doesn't really matter to you whether Albert is right, or not.  You just want to capitalize on it ...it could make you and me multi-millionaires.  But, I don't want any part of that.  I would prefer that only us adults know ...so we can spend more time with our children, and make a  special effort not to argue and fight.  We should make the most of the time we have left with them.  But, I don't think the children should know ...they would be too afraid. But, I'm also quite convinced that if all adults knew, they would not all be able to keep it a secret ...so, once a few children found out, it would quickly spread ...so they'd all know anyway.  So, I don't really know."

An elderly gentleman with a long white beard enters the sanctuary, and stands slouching in the shadows. The room falls silent.  As he moves slowly into view, to everyone's surprise, it is the janitor.

Janitor:  "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to listen in ...but I was just cleaning up out here, and couldn't help."

Donald:  "Pastor, do you pay those employed by your church to often disrupt your meetings?"

Albert:  "I asked for this church as a meeting place, but this is not strictly a church matter.  I would like to hear, yes, even a janitor's opinion."

Janitor:  "I thank you, Albert ...for realizing that I too, have attended every service here.  I have listened to every Sunday message, and I've understood what was said.  I think, as a common man, that I've understood something from the talk here tonight also.  Now, I think I have a message of my own.  I'd like to ask, who here thinks a person should live for each moment, and not fret about what has not already taken place?"

Donald:  "I admit that I believe that!  Our Lord points out that we should trust Him, and not worry what the future holds."

Janitor:  "That is true, but there's a difference between not worrying about the future, and taking advantage of those who do worry.  I recall the year we all feared our water supply may be contaminated ...and you doubled the price of your bottled water.  Then once when the power was out for a week, your price for generators went up.  It used to be that the simple economic supply and demand curve meant that with increased demand, the price went down."

Evelyn:  "I've been telling him all along that it's wrong.  I'm glad someone else has recognized it."

Janitor:  "Pardon me for saying, but I've also recognized that you were very pleased with the new car that he bought you.  I do recognize though ...that though you are accustom to nice things, it does not affect your sensitivity for others.  I know you serve well on the church committee, and working with the King's Kids youth program ...but, sometimes the attempts to shelter all kids from the dangers of life, yet, at the same time, setting too high of standards ...well, it could be that you are brokering their own self-confidence and also their possible trust in you.  If you pass on your fears to them, it really kind of shows that part of what you are doing is not fully trusting them with the things you are teaching.  And those fears will be passed onto them, ill-equipping them for what they need for their own maturity."

Evelyn:  "I'm doing all that wrong?"

Janitor:  "I'm not trying to overwhelm you, otherwise I'd be doing the same thing to you that I'm saying not to do.  I'm just trying to share a bit of wisdom ...that's not that hard to adjust.  I know you have a good heart, and I'm just trying to encourage you."

Evelyn:  "I'll try to look at it that way!  I guess if I doubt your sincerity, I guess my husband has even more reason to doubt mine.  I've been telling him for so long  what he's been doing wrong, I've not taken a serious look at myself."

Janitor:  "How do you feel you fit into all of this, Pastor John?"

Pastor John:  "I had a feeling I was going to be next.  I could try to guess what you have in store for me, but I may reveal more about myself than what you are going to say about me ...so, I think consider it wise that I just let you speak your piece, so I can salvage my own peace."

Janitor:  "I told Evelyn that I was just trying to encourage her ...and I hope she believes me.  That's your main role, Pastor.  Not just to encourage everyone ...but to also convince them of your sincerity of it.  And how you react to each situation is of utmost importance.  Often the youth live out a self-fulfilling prophesy ...whatever you expect out of them, they often fulfill.  And you are not just a pastor ...you are the role model for all parents. Together, with your leading, all parents must show the youth that you have faith in them.  Then, and only then, will they be able to stand.  When people their age panic, it is usually because they have no parent that guides them ...but they don't only look to adults, they look to one another too.  They look for leadership amongst their own.  And they can be a force for good if we let them.  Many of the youth can be a strong testimony if we just believe in them."

Evelyn:  "I guess I'm guilty of that.  I've so assumed this leadership role, that I have not given much space for them to emerge as leaders."

Pastor John:  "I think we are all guilty of that.  I have not done well to disciple those of you among me."

Janitor:  "When they are in doubt, when they fear, and when they are angry ...they look to the one who is strong among them.  And you are absolutely right, Pastor ...we are to disciple them, not anticipate in advance that they will all resort to lawlessness."

Albert:  "Then, in short, you are saying we should tell them ...is that right?"

Janitor:  "Yes, we live in a unique time.  Time is short.  But, it always has been.  I just lost a grandson last month. We've not known how long each of us will be here ...so why should it change now?  Because it seems now that we do more clearly know. Sometimes there is a diagnosis given to us ...that we have a certain length of time to live.  During those circumstances, it seems rather clear that our Lord has allowed us to know somewhat in advance. But, most of us do not know ahead of time ...and in some ways we should live each day like it was our last, and in some ways, we should live each day as if it was our first ---being like little children."

Evelyn:  "But, the part of the uniqueness of the time we live in ...is the fact that many have fallen away.  The lawlessness that our Pastor has alluded to, is already happening on a small scale.  They don't pay any attention to our Lord."

Janitor:  "The Lord will get their attention now!  It appears He is perhaps allowing this to happen at this time, because it was reserved for a time when they would not listen to anything else.  And we should not be concerned with the genuineness of their response ...if they respond well, that is good, and if they do not respond well, that ultimately is our Lord's business also."

Albert:  "I think I hear what you are saying.  We need to sound the alarm ...and be honest about what is going to happen.  But, our alarm should not be blaring.  We cannot deceive them ...but they should be more impressed with our calm, than with our warning."

Janitor:  "That's precisely what I'm saying.  But, there will be many who will not respond at all ...the solid unbelievers, will simply not believe.  In some respects, they are tired of hearing all the reports that many of us believers have been eager to believe.  There have been so many predictions of the end of the earth, that it will only fall on deaf ears.  It may seem partly our doing ...because we have burned all the bridges by our past reports of things that never came true.  But, it's not our fault what they believe. It's not quite like the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf.  In the story, the truth is ...the wolf does come!!  But, sadly, there is not a person to believe it, because the cry has been so often heard.  Yet, the difference is, they all did believe there was a wolf ...and today, we often live like the worst of all dangers does not even exist."

Evelyn:  "So, maybe the Pastor was on the right track, the first time.  Maybe we should just keep being who we are ...and not cry wolf."

Janitor:  "Perhaps we shouldn't cry out so loudly ...but perhaps we should arm the young boy, so he can adequately deal with the wolf. I have friends who don't like to talk about our Lord.  They say they don't like to talk about what governs our lives either ...they label it stinkin' politics.  They don't like to talk about anything that matters.  That doesn't mean that we should be that much more loud, but it doesn't mean we should be silent either.  Our Lord gives everyone a chance to hear Him ...it is He who decides how that is done.  Some people like the quiet testimony of their kindness, with no words.  Other people offer a warning of judgment, more looming than this meteor.  Both can be wrong, and both can be right ...but let us know that most people can see where our heart is in it."

Pastor John:  "But, ultimately it is not about them gauging my heart ...but there own, in reference to our Lord."

Janitor:  "That is true.  Elijah witnessed a great and powerful wind tear the mountains apart, then an earthquake, followed by a fire ...yet he did not find the Lord in these, but in a still small voice. Yet, it cannot be denied that the biggest revival our country has ever had ...was through preaching that seemed more like fire and brimstone.  Our Lord chooses the times, and methods.  And we choose too.  Throughout history, prophets were killed and apostles stoned.  Jesus was crucified ...but for the sake of those who believe.  Those who forsake to believe ...have had opportunity. The truth exists ...it is not denied anyone.  Those who don't listen to the truth cannot blame others because they know little about the one who comes only in sheep's clothing ...waiting quietly also."  

Pastor John:  "I know much more could be said, but perhaps we should pray ...and each search our hearts for the answer of how we should share the truth with the unique audience of acquaintances our Lord has placed in each of our lives."