Do you remember the fear about 2000? Computers all over the world were allegedly going to treat Jan. 1, 2000 as Jan. 1, 1900, with dire consequences. Power grids and banks would fail. Civilization would come to a halt. The responsible thing to do — according to the fear mongers, including, I was sad to see, Ligonier Ministries — was to move to the country, buy lots of guns and supplies, and be ready for a complete meltdown.
I was on a camping trip with some friends in the fall of 1999. Some of them were unsure what to do. All of us knew someone who had made drastic changes to prepare for The End. They were called Preppers.
My friend Marty ridiculed the idea. “So when your neighbors come begging for food, you’re going to shoot them?”
My attitude was that too much money was at stake, and people would find a way, somehow, to make sure the world didn’t come to an end. My only preparation was to buy an extra 6-pack of beer, and I only did that as a joke. I’m a homebrewer, so there’s rarely a shortage of beer in my house.
I’ve heard rumblings recently that seem similar. Gun sales are through the roof, and people are wondering how to prepare for civil unrest, or … whatever.
It’s a good idea to have enough food and water on hand to survive for a few days, or even a week or two. It doesn’t take civil unrest to kill the power and such. A hurricane, or a really bad snow storm, can keep you cooped in your house for a while. We were without power for five days after some weird weather event about a decade ago.
But what, exactly, are you supposed to plan for?
Am I supposed to buy guns? Seeds? A water purification system? A power generator?
Honestly, if it gets to that, I would probably have to pack as much as I can in the car and go visit some friends in Wyoming.