A Complete Guide for Facing the End of the World: An 11th Hour Checklist

I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion. –Alexander the Great.

About every third or fourth generation, the world ends. Of course I don't mean that the planet collapses and we're all swallowed up.

Rather I mean the world catches fire. The world as we knew it changes forever.

Look at the early 20th Century. WWI. The Market Crash. WWII. In my lifetime we had 9/11. And the election of Joe Biden. The candidacy of Kamala Harris. (I'm "joking." Sort of.)

To borrow from writer Wendell Berry, there'll be another "world-ending fire." It's not going to take 100 years. We will see it within the next several years or, at latest, within the lifetimes of the newest (millennials, Z, etc.) two generations alive today.

Some people will call me a fearmonger. Those same people will bury their heads in the sand or in their little devices so they don't have to ponder this.

But you and I can't afford to live in denial as the West crumbles and goes the way of Rome. (Rome had fallen long before anyone perceived it. Has America?)

The Foundational Response of Warrior Poets to the World's Collapse

But men and women of integrity don't let their fear turn to panic. We stand on a rock and invite others to stand with us. We don't give up on doing good or creating culture or fighting against the tide. We don't run to our bunkers and wait.

As a God-fearing man, I don't believe that human history is the ultimate history. It doesn't dictate the ultimate future. God does. In part, there's a mandate to behave in the way of St. Augustine as the north African region of Hippo and all of Rome was descending into world-ending fire. He continued to serve and to create, writing the hundreds of pages known as The City of God.

RELATED LINKS | Doomsday Hobbyist or Realist? | Prepping for an Economic Doomsday | Why I Use a PACE Plan for Almost Everything

I'm certainly no St. Augustine, but I believe I was channeling a little of his determination to do good back in 2020 when I wrote this little anthem:

The world seems on fire, but things are not as bleak as the media pretends. You are needed to lead your circle in calm resolve. Your hope is stronger than their despair. Your conviction is stronger than their confusion. Your love is stronger than their hate. As you watch fanatics tear our cities apart, I trust our Society to remain forces for good in the world. I am proud to be among you all.

And it's even truer now. We must remain forces for good in the world in spite of every instinct run and hide.

Avoid Fools and the God Complex

Ignore the Naysayers Who Live in Denial. People are going to say you're an alarmist. Why are you fearmongering? Why are you making people feel unsafe? Typically, these are very fearful people who would rather fiddle while Rome is burning. Their present comfort is their only comfort. You and I, though, can't afford this sort of recklessness. We prepare now so we're not consumed by fear later.

You Can't Fix Everything. Fix What You Can. Do you get frustrated that you can't fix everything out there? I mean, I can't close the border. I can't fix elections. I can't go back in time and fix the history that's brought us here. You are not God and neither am I. But I'm responsible for addressing the concerns that impact the people God has entrusted to me–my family, friends, neighbors, congregation, and community. 

Don't Forget Prayer. We should be praying for our country. If you are a man of faith. Ultimately, it's only God who can fix this. And He will.

An 11th Hour Checklist for the End of the World: PACE Practices

So. Our motivation is not self protection as an end in itself. Preparing for the Armaggedon that's coming is a means for doing good and infusing hope in a world that's collapsing. This is a matter of stewardship. We steward what God has provided to be fruitful and multiple regardless of circumstances.

We have to develop and implement skilled prioritization practices. Let's talk about this in a systematic fashion. I'm going to tap into old military training and use the acronym "PACE." Primary Plans. Alternate Plans. Contingency Plans. Emergency Plans.

Primary Plan: This is what I'm going to do. Alternate Plan: What if something changes? Contingency Plan: Big things have changed, and I'm going to have to fork off in a different direction. Emergency Plan: If everything fails.

A Checklist for Tough Times

Primary. Build Community and Know Your Local Authorities. 

Part of your primary plan in times of such dire straits should be community integration. You should know who your neighbors are, make friends with people in your local school or your local co-op. I would also add getting to know your city counselors, your local sheriff, police, and EMS in your neighborhood. It's going to be a lot harder for your local government to come down with an iron fist on you if you're actually known to these people.

Alternate. Consider Relocation Based on Safety and Freedom.

If you live in a state that's certainly not a free state or you live in a highly urbanized area, I would ask you to consider moving. But if you've got a really good community built up and you're not in a free state, maybe give pause on that. Begin to cut back and pursue a more austere and financially frugal life. What do you need. What can you cut. Part of the way tyrants rule is to impoverish the people and make them dependent.

Contingency. Contingency Planning and Skill-Building for Self-Sufficiency. 

Cultivate the old and forgotten skills of homesteading. Security, growing food, fixing things, carpenters, welders, doctors.

Emergency. Focus on Defense and Survival Equipment. 

Gather tools, lots of nails, screws, spare lumber. Have all the gear that you'd want: tactical gear, survival gear, water filtration. But remember. It's the Indian not the arrow that makes one tactically effective.

Train Hard. Train Smart. Live Free. Prepare Don't Panic.