One Internet Website available offers to calculate (using statistics of average life-spans), the date of your demise. Tapping in your date of birth will give you your own personalise computer countdown timer called "death clock". It's meant to add a certain urgency and perspective to your daily actiivites.

We all approach deadlines differently. As the Jubilee/Millennium approaches, groups and individuals emerge, advancing "evidence" for their belief that the the end of the world is near.

But would it make any difference to our actions if we actually knew the day and the hour? Think for a moment. What happens when the boss is away from the office, the teacher their classroom, parents leaving children temporarily on house duty? "When the cat's away, the mice will play." Especially when the mice know exactly when the cat's due home again. But if the mice aren't sure, they will be on guard, alert, watchful.

In the end it shouldn't matter that we don't know the day or hour of our Lord's coming. It's good that we don't. The future, our future rests in Jesus' nail-scarred hands, not ours. And He will bring His work to completion, at a day and an hour no one knows. Watch His space.

(Comments to Tom at stmarysrcathlone@oceanfree.net )