When Jesus told them that the temple would be destroyed, they misunderstood and assumed that he meant that the whole world was coming to its final end. After all, the temple was their world, their theological framework, their faith foundation. If the temple was on the verge of destruction, then that meant that history was finished, the kingdom was about to break in, and there was nothing left for them to do but sing psalms and wait for God to gather them into the heavenly places. Not so said Jesus. Wars take place, famines happen, tumult occurs.
Loved ones die, jobs end, dreams vanish.
But according to this gospel reading, such is not a time for passivity or a time for despair. It is a time for testimony. When little worlds come apart it is a time for disciples to roll up their sleeves and to be about the merciful work of the kingdom. When families begin to break, it is then, more than ever, that disciples are needed who bear witness to trust, forgiveness, and love. When government programs collapse and homeless or frightened people are cast into the streets or into unsafe settings, it is then, more than ever, that disciples are needed who proclaim in word and in deed that the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.