Giovanni Bazzana, a professor of New Testament at Harvard Divinity School, has been studying the apocalypse for years. Hes taught classes about the subject and has scoured through many ancient texts. Thats why, when Bazzana reflects on the natural disasters and social upheaval that have upended American life in 2020, he feels comfortable giving it a label.

The apocalypse is here, Bazzana insists. In fact, he believes its always with us.

Bazzana isnt talking about monstrous beasts emerging from the sea or horsemen descending from a cosmic stage to wreak havoc on the earth. The trials of 2020 are an apocalypse in the original sense of the Greek word, he claims: a revelation or uncovering.

This year has revealed truths about American society that cant be ignored or swept under the rug, Bazzana suggested whether its inequality in health care, racial injustice or the ineptitude of the government.

Its important to remember that apocalypse means revelation; its the moment that reveals something about one individuals life or about society in general, he said. I think this is really a moment of big revelations, not revelations in terms of visions or prophecies, but revelations in the sense of seeing the truth of things.