Written 4-10-2002

– Echoes of Eternity –

There’s two thoughts that come to mind: First, that there’s more. More what? More of everything, really, but more of LIFE! Being alive and at peace, maybe even joyful and happy. Secondly, that we are being lied to. You, me, all of us, have been told all our lives, are being told, and will continue to be told that there isn’t more. It isn’t usually phrased that way, and usually isn’t even put into words, but it doesn’t have to. It comes across in rejection, loneliness, despair, and hopelessness. We are told that this is all that there is, that we can’t do this and that, aspire to anything, or do anything worthwhile, lasting, or meaningful, and we better not disagree.

I’d like to just say outright that the more that we’re all seeking is found, ultimately, in only one place: in God above [in Jesus and His death and resurrection 2000 years ago] but unfortunately, that has been part of the lies for most of us. Who is God to us? Is this ‘God’ thing merely a set of thoughts, rules, and imaginings? Is He something so foreign to us that we have no real hope of ever really being a part of Him? For so long, for so many, that is all He ever is, but there’s so much more!

This God knows everything and everybody. Even people who don’t know Him acknowledge Him, and even those who outright hate Him. I’m convinced that there are no people on the face of the earth that have not heard or felt or been affected in their lives by Him at one point or another. Those times where it seems like something like “magic” does exist, when all seems to stand in balance and harmony. When it seems that maybe for at least an instant you could contemplate and comprehend what Eternity [infinity] really is. What is that but standing a little closer to the divine where everything is a little clearer and it’s a little easier to breathe. He speaks in our heartfelt dreams and desires, of truth, love, beauty, fairness, hope, and believing. He inspires our ideas of strength, security, power, and dominion.

This God, ultimately, calls us to only do two things: To love Him [with all our heart, soul, strength, mind, and spirit], and to love each other [our neighbor as ourselves]. All that’s been spoken of in morals and ‘goodness’ come from this. Again, however, lies come in the way of truly understanding this, and some of those lies sit so deep in the souls of most Americans that they can’t see past them.  They can’t see the truth more completely. Everything He commands of us is towards more life [which is ultimately more of Him, because He is the source of life].

The point of not doing things like getting drunk all the time or sleeping with a lot of people is not that these are the rules, set out to restrict, or to take away pleasure or happiness. These things kill you [inside] after a while; they leave you emptier and emptier, and more and more numb. We’re lied to that they don’t, or that that’s what we really wanted [we don’t want the physical things: food, sex, alcohol. We want, in our hearts, the spiritual things: peace, love, security, hope, joy, belief, intimacy. The physical is just the means or the vehicle, good or bad]. The point of not stealing, killing, or hurting others is that we’re really no better than anyone else, and that in general, we get back whatever we give. Those who take will be taken from. Those who wound will be wounded. Those who give will be given to.  And, those who forgive will be forgiven. It’s the way it always works.  And when you go stand at the end of eternity and look backwards you’ll agree.

All of us have failed at these two things at some point, even if, in our own eyes, it wasn’t our fault. We still have failed and have done things that bring death, hurt, and pain to others. We are held accountable [responsible]. Because God loves each of us so passionately, He did two things 2000 years ago. He sent His Son into the world to die and resurrected Him three days later, suffering for us so that we could be forgiven of everything we have done in the past or ever will do. Simply believing this washes one completely free. Second, He sent His Spirit to live within us, so that we might know Him more.

His Spirit walks with us and directs us, conveys God’s love to us, and comforts us. Again, there’s more than anyone has every imagined in the relationship one can have with God, getting to know Him through His Spirit, but we’ve been lied to. Having been told that all there is to Christianity is singing songs and listening to the same old dusty book be cut up, prepared, and fed to us in a billion different flavors and varieties through sermon after sermon, preacher after preacher, all the while, fighting off our own boredom and what to do with “the rest of the day”. THERE’S SO MUCH MORE!

Knowing God has nothing to do with rituals, doctrines, or dogmas. And I do mean knowing God. The Bible was written by people just like us who met God at various times in their lives. One of the greatest lies fed to us is that the only way for us to know God today is through them.

There is a cry in people’s hearts for freedom, security, safety, beauty, and peace. We can find many things about us that can give those temporarily, but what can we do about the piece of hearts that still remembers what eternity feels like? Where can we get another taste of truest truth, and that brilliant light of life?

I wish it was simple enough for me to say ‘go to church’, but we’re all lied to, and you may or may not find it there. Reading the Bible can help you, especially parts like the book of Luke or John or 1 Corinthians, but mostly seek and keep seeking, any way you can.  What you sow to the Spirit, you will reap in life.

He said if we would seek Him, we would find Him. To keep seeking Him until you find him. He loves us all just as we are, and accepting Jesus as our Savior, confessing we need His sacrifice and shed blood from 2000 years ago to wipe away our failings makes us right with God. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve done drugs, how many people you’ve hurt, or even killed. It doesn’t matter how filthy you think you are. Ask God, and you will receive His forgiveness if you’re willing to receive it. There may be pain or memories, and He can take those away too, either immediately or through time as you continue to pursue Him. He loves us all so much just as we are, but He doesn’t want us to stay where we are forever, because He WANTS us to have that MORE that He’s already whispered to our hearts that must exist, that we crave, that we need, in order to be made whole But, no matter who you are, what you’ve done, He stands as the one God, who never lies and only wants you to come to Him, come to be fully fulfilled in your life with all He has.

He is so far Beyond “religion” as it has grown up with its traditions. He is a great mystery and yet simple, and full of love. Beyond all we could ask or imagine, He has open arms to accept us at any moment we turn to Him . We’re lied to so much, we begin to repeat the lies to ourselves, that we’re too filthy, have done or said too much, are too little, are not worthy enough, but they are merely lies. We are being lied to. There’s more. He is more. He’s bigger than us, and all we can ever do. And, forever, even when you’ve known Him for a billion years, there’s more.