It’s a favorite of screenwriters and novelists, but movies and fiction books aren’t the best way to get the truth about the Biblical Book of Revelation. More often than not, they’re the worst way.
Plagues, destruction, locusts with human heads that torture people ... the book of Revelation is, to put it mildly, a little weird. In “Catholic Central: Revelation,” Kai and Libby show us how to read the Book of Revelation, and how all those cryptic visions can mean something for us today.
Diving Deeper
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How do you feel the media’s images of “the end of the world” are similar to or different from the images depicted in the Book of Revelation?
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What is an example of a time where you saw God “win” in your life? Does remembering that time give you hope and courage for present trials, or for upcoming challenges you might anticipate?
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Does the idea of the “end of the world” or the “last and final judgment” scare you or fill you with hope? Why? What would it mean for your life if today was the last day? How might it change the way you live today?
Activity
In what ways can you be like St. John, as far as being a voice of hope to those around you in the midst of chaos, fear, and confusion in today’s world?
Reflection by Father Vince Kuna, C.S.C.
Filmmakers sometimes get end of the world disaster movies right. Check out Lars von Trier’s Melancholia (2011-Rated R). How does Kiefer Sutherland’s sole reliance on science prove inadequate in the face of dwarf planet spinning in trajectory towards Earth? How does Kirsten Dunst’s character better prepare for the end times? Though, secular in belief, she has an instinct to do something spiritual for herself and her loved ones in the final moments of the film. How is she and the film representative of the mysterious nature of the Book of Revelation?
