Missing Home
Sometimes the timing is odd when you miss home. I had a good weekend, but for some reason last night I just really wanted to be with my family. Maybe it was the sadness during the movie Crash that we watched, maybe it was because it was Easter, or maybe it's because it's been a while since I've been home. Maybe it's not that I'm sad I'm not with my family (any/all of it, not just my parents), but maybe it's that I'm afraid of losing them. My grandmother says each day is a blessing, and she's still happy to be here, but she's not necessarily afraid of death. I can't imagine myself ever being that way. I am absolutely afraid of dying, and writing this blog is making me feel the same things I was last night, so it has to be it.I know this is kind of rambling, but it's been hard to figure out why I was upset last night. Why do I have to be so upset by even the thought of death? Is it because I've never lost someone that close to me? I think of my strong friends who have, and I can't fathom that pain. I've always thought it's better to love and to have lost then to never have loved at all, but when my thoughts lately are always about losing those that I love, it's hard to focus on the now.
That is an extreme exaggeration of course - I don't always think about death. But with TV shows and media these days, it's hard to not be faced with death all the time.
I think I need to stop thinking about this and go to bed, but I can't help but tailor what "Christianity" is in order to go with my desires - that all good people would go to Heaven. This is a whole different debate for a different day, but I want to see everyone I love up there, regardless of faith, and if God is so forgiving, just, and loving, how can that not be true? Definitely more on this later.
posted by Biff @ 10:32 PM
3 Comments:
In terms of orthodox (with a small o) Christian belief, the primary characteristic is in a Holy God; a God who is morally perfect and perfect in every way, who is the definition of Good. God is also fully just, and then He is merciful and loving. This is exemplified on the Cross; God could not just overlook sin (just be merciful), for that would neglect justice. God could have ignored the sin, but that would not be a Holy God. Instead, the Holy God selected one who was fully man and fully God, who would represent all of mankind, was fully perfect, and upon Him, Christ, who was God, took upon the punishment for our sins ... and we get the righteousness that he has earned.
That is the Gospel message, the message of Easter. Yes, there are those who don't want a relationship with God. As C. S. Lewis puts it, there are many who don't want to be with God, and God is not going to coerce them into a relationship with Him. So they have chosen an eternity without Him -- and He says to those who don't want to be with Him, "Thine will be done." But for those who are faithful and have faith (those words are interchangeable in the Greek) -- who are committed as God as their Lord and Savior, those who trust in the sacrifice of Jesus, those who desire God and hunger and thirst of His righteousness, they will see God and spend eternity with Him. For God has promised, [that God will dwell] with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. (Rev 21:3-4)
The evangelist Dwight L. Moody once said, “One day you’ll read that Moody is dead. Don’t you believe it for at that moment I will be more alive than ever before!”
That is our hope. Every day God gives is another gift to serve Him. Thus the apostle Paul would claim that, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain!" (NIV Phil 1:21)
I understand where you're coming from, anon, but I think there are other beliefs out there that hold merit. I mean, a just God will judge justly (that's a mouthful); he will judge according to the knowledge each person has, not according to a knowledge that he doesn't have. While this doesn't make me 100% happy because I want all good people to go to Heaven, it does point to the idea that pagans might enter Heaven as well.
There is this story very early in the Gospels where what is mostly translated "wise men" (not wiseguys) is probably better translated magi or wizard, probably astrologers and sorcerors from the east -- so Persia or Babylonia or something. While they were looking at stars to predict the future and following a special star, the Lord of Lords who knows the future got their attention to bring them to Himself. Suddenly they realize what they have been doing wrong, and they surrender their 'weapons' (gold, myrrh, and incense/frankincense were used in the magic arts). On the divine side, God can even use the things that make us His enemies and help us to see Him. Of course, He does respect free will; if we do not choose to love Him, while He tries to woo us, at some point in time, if we are to spurn His offers, we only reap what we sow.
We know that also He is the author and perfector of all things good, so it's not that He's malevolent; He's the definition of that which is good, and wants what's best for us. He created us and knows what is best for us.
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