In Remembrance

 

No one will remember us. The more time that passes after our death, the less we will be remembered until eventually our names will be forgotten, and all proof of our existence will cease to be. We can make an impact right now by positively influencing those around us but for nearly all men, the only legacy we will leave behind will be our offspring. No one will remember how rich we were, how beautiful we were or how successful we were in business or politics. What will be remembered, at least for a generation or two, is our acts of kindness and love toward others.

At the same time, even though we will pass from the memories of mankind, we will continue to live forever in the state that we formed our souls into during our lifetime. What then is the logical response? When your house is burning down around you, what will you rescue as you escape the flames?

The Big Picture in the Moment

 

We live in a paradox. We need to live in the moment and focus on being holy, right now, dealing with the struggles and sins that plague us right now. But at the same time, we need to look at the big picture and not be distracted by the pleasure and comfort of the moment. We should work hard to be holy so as to be prepared for eternity.

Like an athlete who pushes himself with aching muscles and exhaustion, with the goal of finishing the upcoming marathon. If the athlete only looked to the moment, he would not regularly exercise each day. The goal of being in shape is always one step ahead of him. If he stops for a time, he will not maintain his physical state, but he will begin to decline and lose the progress he has made. 

If the Christian approached his spiritual life as the athlete approached his physical strength and endurance, holiness would be achieved.

Of a Person

 

People should be who they are. If they are sweet and understanding, that is good and fine. If they are introspective, quiet, angry, aggressive, thoughtful or pensive, this too is good and fine. But there should never be judgment against someone else who is different than they. Any emotional/psychological manifestation is part of what makes us human as long as it is directed and controlled in a healthy manner.

Regardless of one’s state of mind, one should understand who they are and why they are what they are. Everyone is made up of responses to a million variables in their lives and one never knows what sort of struggles and troubles someone else may have endured.

Faith Unavoidable

 

Practicing a faith is unavoidable. Whatever that faith may be is irrelevant, for everyone believes something or in someone, even if that someone is self. The question is, “Will you give it concerted effort and thought, or will you simply embrace what you were taught, what your culture practices, or will you be lazy and take the path of comfort and ease?

Everyone believes something about what happens after death and everyone has a source from which they define morality. But upon what are those beliefs based?

Labels

 

It is sad how many people hate Christianity because of abuses they suffered as children. The characteristics of hypocrisy and ignorance have become the default presumption when the label ‘Christian’ is used. The western, secular world equates Christianity with modern US evangelicalism, while the historic church remains, for the most part, an obscure, unknown category.

The label Christian should not be associated with pedophilia, wealth, or hypocrisy.

Normalization

 

If you went out to eat dinner and upon receiving your salad, you found a small slug on one of the leaves. You would complain and get a new salad.

If you went again, the next weekend and ordering again, found a fingernail in your soup, you would complain and either get a different side dish or possibly leave.

If someone actually convinced you to go a third time, on the following weekend and upon receiving your main dish, you find several curly black hairs, most likely you would never return again to that restaurant.

At what point do we stop interacting with the world/social media/news? With the previous metaphor in mind, at what point does the corruption, perversion and depravity of these things drive us away as “it’s no longer worth it”?

In the distant past, the practice of monasticism became the place the godly went to get away from the influence of the world. While becoming a monk is not better or necessary than being a regular person, running away from the influence of evil is necessary.

I fear we may be slowly losing our passion for holiness. We are allowing ourselves to become conditioned to the normalization of sin.

Oppression as Fruit

 

 It could be the case that some ecological disaster, plague, or war decimates the majority of the global population in the near future. This does not mean that the world is coming to an end but that the fruit of sin is being reaped. This sort of suffering is not punishment from God but the consequences of not living as truly human. Mankind was designed to love and to be loved and anything else will only lead to suffering. When you plant carrot seeds, carrots will grow. 

The world could fall under the oppression of Islam, of Chinese communism, or global technocratic socialism. But regardless of the suffering that follows the Church will never cease to be. The Church does not need comfort and ease, it does not need technology and it does not need the support of any government agency. The Church will continue to be until and throughout the kingship of Jesus Christ is manifested across all of creation.