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IF THE WORLD ENDS

IF THE WORLD ENDS..
By Chidimma Placid Nwaka
As time unfolds and changes rapidly, new things come into being. Fresh innovations, eye-catching inventions, new dance steps, recipes, fashion trends, and the endless stream of crimes flashing on TV. Like dew drops, they fall upon us daily.
Yet the same old story lingers, wrapped around a haunting question: “What if the world ends?” What will become of the earth? The wonders of nature that we cherish each day? If all were reduced to ashes?
Across history, many mythologies, religions, and cultures have predicted how the world would end, when it would come, and what might follow. Some set exact dates, but decades passed, then centuries, and still the earth remains. The truth is certain: no one knows how, where, or when the earth will be reshaped; whether in chaos or in peace.
Still, these predictions have left a mark. They stir fear for a moment, but soon most humans return to their lives, unbothered by the thought that everything could vanish.

THE MAYAN CALENDAR: A MISREAD PROPHECY
→ The 2012 Scare and what the Mayans really meant
According to historical research, the Mayans were an ancient people of Mesoamerica (modern-day Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador). They thrived between 2000 BC and 1500 AD, long before European colonization.
The Mayans are remembered for their remarkable achievements. They created highly accurate calendars that tracked time, astronomy, and religious events. Their mathematical skills enabled them to predict eclipses and even introduced the world to the concept of zero (0). Architecturally, they left behind grand pyramids, temples, and cities such as Chichén Itzá and Tikal. They also developed hieroglyphic writing, produced rich artwork, and cultivated staple crops such as maize, beans, and cacao. Truly, they were a civilization blessed with knowledge, creativity, and resilience.
But how did the Mayans become linked with the question, “What if the world ends?”
It all traces back to their Long Count Calendar, which completed a major cycle on December 21, 2012. Many outsiders (not the Mayans themselves) misinterpreted this as a prophecy of the world’s destruction, sparking what became known as the “2012 Doomsday” scare.
In reality, the Mayans never predicted an apocalypse. For them, the end of the calendar simply marked the close of one cosmic era and the beginning of another. A page turned in time’s endless book, not the end of the world.

RAGNAROK AND THE APOCALYPSES: FIRE, JUDGMENT, AND RENEWAL
Another mythology that ties death to rebirth is the Norse myth of Ragnarok. It teaches that before the world ends, there must first be great destruction. The gods themselves will fall, and only then will a new dawn of rebirth emerge from the ashes.
In contrast, the Christian Apocalypse describes the perilous times at the end of the age: lawlessness, insecurities, broken marriages, murders, lust, and unrestrained sin. It speaks of the rise of the Antichrist, fiery destruction, and the final judgment of mankind.
The Islamic perspective mirrors this closely. It foretells the Day of Resurrection, when humanity will be judged: the faithful will be welcomed into paradise, while the disloyal will face punishment.
Yet despite differences, these visions share one truth: humanity fears its own undoing. And while centuries have passed, the signs described in the Christian Apocalypse seem to echo in our daily lives today.
But the haunting question remains: “If the world ends, what would become of us?”

Perhaps the real question is not when or how the world will end, but how we choose to live before that day comes. Across mythologies, religions, and cultures, one truth stands out: life is fragile, fleeting, and precious. The end may arrive in fire, in silence, or not at all in our lifetime; but until then, we are called to cherish the earth, honor one another, and leave behind a legacy worth remembering.

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