“If Jesus is returning soon, should I still save for retirement?”
A young man asked me exactly that question a few years ago. We were at a church service, and I had just preached a sermon on the end times. That week, at his workplace, the young man’s employer had given him the option of contributing to a 401(k) retirement savings plan.
This individual knew it was important to plan for the future. But he also wondered if, in light of the Second Coming, that type of savings was an unwise use of money. He asked me for advice.
I’ll be honest: I’m a pastor, not an investment advisor. I don’t get asked for financial planning advice very often. But I did have an answer for that young man. Before I tell you what it was, however, let me share a fascinating story. The young man’s question brought to mind a unique moment in American history.
Abraham Davenport and New England’s Dark Day
History recalls May 19, 1780, as New England’s “Dark Day.” At the time, George Washington and the Continental Army were still fighting in the Revolutionary War. Camped with his troops in New Jersey, General Washington noted in his diary how the weather had been strange for several days. The sun had appeared to be red. The skies had grown yellowish and the clouds were the color of rust.
On May 18, he recorded the presence of dark, ominous, “heavy and uncommon kind of clouds.”
The next day, the morning of May 19, the clouds grew even darker. Fog and a shadowy sky settled across the region. By noon, the sun had been completely obscured across New England, as if day had become night. Indoor workers took lunch by candlelight. Outdoor laborers struggled to see their work, and some quit early.
As the darkness continued, birds returned to their nests, farm animals reacted in terror, and local commerce began to shut down. Shop owners closed their businesses. Citizens speculated about the cause.
Had the sun somehow been darkened? Was this the judgment of God? Could the darkening skies be a sign of the Second Coming of Christ?
The state legislature was meeting that day in Connecticut. As the darkness persisted, members of the governing body became uneasy. One legislator made the motion to adjourn their meeting, suggesting everyone return to their homes and families to prepare for the end of the world.
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SOURCE: Christian Post, Jimmy Evans
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