Thanks to a free download from iTunes, my wife and I have started watching the ABC Family series, 3 Moons over Milford. It’s entertaining and insightful. The premise is that an asteroid split the moon into 3 big chunks (and some smaller ones), and it’s only a matter of time before those chunks fall to earth and destroy life on earth. So people tend to respond in one of three ways: they either panic and commit suicide, they follow their dreams and leave the rest behind (Carpe Diem), or they just “muddle through” and keep on going with business as usual the best they can.

As I was watching it, I recalled the feelings we had when the 9/11 bombing occurred, which was similar yet very different from knowledge of the impending end of the world, not just the potential for a terrorist attack. On September 11, 2001, we wanted to go get our kids out of school, bring them home, and just hold them, but we knew an elementary school in rural Iowa wasn’t a prime terrorist target, so we let them stay there until the bus brought them home.

The main reaction repeatedly displayed in 3 Moons is the setting aside of inhibitions to achieve a life-long goal. While there’s something to be said for seeking a goal, the recurring theme is that, when someone leaves to pursue a dream, the families, friends, and co-workers left behind are devastated.

Now, where am I going with this? 3 Moons is an excellent commentary on human nature, or what the Bible calls “sinful flesh.” The only thing keeping most people in check is the first use of the Law, fear of consequences. If that fear is gone, or we believe we’re lost regardless, we have no motivation to keep the Law.

But that’s where Christianity is unique. We look to God’s Law not out of fear of consequences, not to please Him or anyone else per se, but simply because we can. Since Christ has given us eternal life by His death and resurrection, not only do we need not fear consequences, but we need not fear that we have to accomplish certain things before we’re crushed by a moon chunk. We can just go on helping others for no reason at all, simply because God has freed us to do just that and enjoy doing it. It’s a byproduct of faith.

So even if the moon explodes, even if the world ends tomorrow, we have nothing to fear, and we don’t need to fear the world’s end–we can look forward to it, because that will begin God’s restoration and new creation, a world free from death and fear.