In the Gospel the disciples, some of whom may have been on their first ever visit to Jerusalem as a follower of Jesus, gaze in awe at the beauty and magnificence of the Temple. We can, I think, put in the place of the Temple any of the natural or man-made wonders of the world. The whole of Creation will at some point come to an end. The physicists speak of the inevitable contraction and destruction of the Universe which will most likely happen long after our own Sun has burnt itself out. The Second Coming, which may or may not happen in my lifetime, will also presage a destruction but not one that ends with a black hole rather it will lead to a new Creation. What will be destroyed is death itself. Saint Paul writes: "Then comes the end, when he (Jesus) hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all things under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death." (1 Cor. 15: 24-26) Regardless of our material circumstances and the glamour of the world, therefore, we are confident of the inheritance that God has for all who trust in him and live in accordance with his commandments. "So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. Fos this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal." (2 Cor. 4: 16-18)
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