The Most Powerful Force in the Universe!

What is the most powerful force in the universe? A hurricane? A volcano? Stars? Black holes? Supernovas? Gamma bursts? The simple answer is, 'none of the above'. The most powerful force in the universe is L-O-V-E.  Why?  Stars burn out. Black holes suck. Supernovas and gamma bursts are a flash in the pan of eternity.  All are subject to the ravages of time and will eventually fade away... but Love is eternal. Love never fails. The one who made the trillions of stars, the Creator of all creation, the one who started it all identifies Himself as Love. Take it from the Good Book...'God is Love. Whoever lives in Love lives in God, and God in them.'

The idea that Love is the greatest power in the universe seems paradoxical, as we think of love as soft, gentle, kind, compassionate, and associate Love with images like flowers, hearts, puppy dogs and enamoured couples... hardly the stuff that shakes the cosmos. It is clear that we have a small minded view of Love. Why is the moon's orbit perfect, so that it does not fly off into space or crash into the earth destroying all life? Love. Why isn't the earth's orbit just a little off causing it to crash into the sun? Love. Why are the rings of Saturn 180,000 km in diameter and less than 1 km thick.. what keeps them in their beautiful form? Love. Why does the sound of crickets slowed down sound like angels singing (check it out.... this is amazing!!!)? Love. Why are flowers beautiful? Why do birds sing? Why do leaves go out in a blaze of glory, rather than just wither and die? Why are the most beautiful scenes on the planet scenes of natural beauty? Love. The invisible nature of God's love is made known by the visible beauty and wonder of the universe that He created.  Because God is Love, because God loves, He made you and me.  Whether you were your parent's heart's desire or an 'accident', God made you because of His Love... you are loved by God more than you could ever imagine! Whether you had a great childhood or suffered neglect and abuse, God loves you and has deep compassion for you.  He understands you better than you understand yourself and loves you far more than you could ever love yourself! Don't worry... be happy!!!

Having studied hundreds of near death experiences (I have a YouTube channel with virtually nothing but NDE testimonies.... check it out!), I can tell you that universally the most powerful, overwhelming, awe inspiring, humbling, enlightening awareness that people experience when they transition into the higher reality is the awesome power of God's Love. It changes people. They come back and tell about God's Love to anyone that will listen. They stop focusing on money and career and looking for 'a good time', and instead start treating those around them in profoundly new ways. Every opportunity to do something kind for another is a little victory. It is living who we were meant to be, because we were meant to be followers of God.

Feeling fearful? Perfect love casts out fear. Feeling powerless? Love. Give. Do for others. Speak encouragement to family, friends, and even strangers that cross your path... maybe God brought them near to you because they needed encouragement, a word of kindness, or just to know that somebody cares about them. Are you blessed with financial abundance? You have the opportunity to consume it on self or use it to bless others... which do you think will reap eternal rewards? One blessed young man did just this by the simple act of giving $100 to random homeless people... the results were powerful and moving. Give to the poor and help them in their distress. Can't think of what to do? Pray for others. No selfless act of kindness will go unnoticed or unrewarded. Of course the greatest gift that any person could offer another is entrance into God's holy family and eternal life by introducing them to Jesus Christ, the one who exemplified Love in his every action as an example for us to follow (a well known atheist - Penn of 'Penn and Teller' - once met a man who showed him the love of God. Penn was both appreciative and deeply moved, and said, "How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible, and not tell them that?"). Tell them! It is the most powerful Love we can give!

It is only fitting that I close out with the beautiful and majestically poetic 'Chapter of Love",  I Corinthians 13:

"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is Love."

"This is Love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." 
I John 3:10,11

Love. Ka-BOOM!

What is the meaning of life?

Can I answer any questions for ya? "Sure. What is the meaning of life? (LOL!)" Guess what? What if the 'unanswerable question' was (drum roll please...) answerable? Things that make you go "hmmmmmmmm..." Can life be full if it lacks purpose? No more than a bucket of holes. So how do we 'find our purpose'?

Part of the difficulty in answering the question is that we are all individuals, so everyone's 'purpose' is assumed to be slightly different. We are not islands, however. Is there a common purpose that we all share? Based on the common purpose, do we then each have an individual calling? Yes and Yes.

(Intentional Digression:) Now it occurred to me that there may be a subconscious resistance to the idea of having a purpose in life. Why? We may perceive that as being externally imposed. We just want to be 'free'. Is being 'free' and having a purpose mutually exclusive? (maybe this is why we laugh at the idea of finding the meaning of life... perhaps it is a nervous laughter, fearing we might be somehow bound by our calling if we took the time to figure it out). I am convinced there is an elegant and happy solution to this cognitive dissonance. Allow me to take a shot at it.

There was a man who lived long ago who was, and still is, considered one of the wisest men that ever lived. Through his wisdom, he gained great power and wealth. About four thousand years ago he built the great temple in Jerusalem, parts of which still stand today... you likely know his name... King Solomon, son of King David. In what reads like a private journal, he struggles with this very question (the book of Ecclesiastes). Oft quoted, was the dark side of this private struggle... "Vanity, vanity (uselessness), all is vanity". Drifting between glimpses of light and existential angst, he wonders aloud about the meaning of life. If this life is all we have, then we shall go as we came... with nothing. Looking at life that way, it could seem useless.

But wait! Over there, a candle burns! Where there are shadows, there must be light! As Solomon gazed at the candle, what did he see? (Puzzle piece #1) "... I realized that the best thing for them is to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live. God wants all people to eat and drink and be happy in their work, which are gifts from God." Appreciate what you have. Let the glass that is half full quench your thirst, and be thankful. Find the good, and do it. Enjoy a good meal, a good friend, a job well done. Give. Love. Give love. But wait, there's more! What is his conclusion? (Puzzle piece #2) "Now everything has been heard, so I give my final advice: Honor God and keep his commands, because this the duty (i.e purpose) of all mankind". Why is this important? "God will judge everything, even what is done in secret, the good and the evil".

"Honor God". What does that mean? It is said that imitation is the highest form of flattery. Learn about His nature, His grace, His love, His mercy, and then be as He is. Commune with Him. Get to know Him. Then encourage, inspire, guide, be an example to others. Look at the heart (not status) and find the good. Wealth means nothing. Power is fleeting. To quote the Apostle Paul, "I may understand all the secret things of God and have all knowledge, and I may have faith so great I can move mountains. But even with all these things, if I do not have love, then I am nothing." Living in Love honors God, for God is love.

"Keep his commands". What does that mean? For Solomon, that was keeping the Ten Commandments, and all the other laws of Moses. Do you know what? This part is impossible. Surprised? Do you know why it is impossible? Solomon knew why. Earlier he had noted, "Surely there is not a good person on earth who always does good and never sins." Paul said it another way. "All have sinned and are not good enough for God's glory... no one can be made right by following the law. The law only shows us our sins". Solomon was the 'Bill Gates' of his day... he had it all. Was he a success? No. Not by a long shot. Despite all his wisdom and wealth, he died a broken man. Some of his sons turned against him. One even killed his brother. He had let pride and materialism win out. He knew that he fell short and his self condemnation destroyed him in the end.

Let's face it... if Wikileaks could see everything we ever did, we'd be toast. So, if "God will judge everything, even what is done in secret, the good and the evil", are we toast? Yikes! But wait...White horse to the rescue!

How so? There was another who was also known as the son of David, born in the city of David (Bethlehem), who came about 2,000 years later. The Word of God by whom all things were made was born in a manger. "In him there was life, and that life was the LIGHT of all people. The LIGHT shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overpowered it. There was a man named John who was sent by God. He came to tell people the truth about the LIGHT so that through him all people could hear about the LIGHT and believe...The true LIGHT that gives light to all was coming into the world!... to all who did accept him and believe in him he gave the right to become the children of God... They were born of God."(John 1:4-13). Now we are not talking about a candle here... this was the Great Supernova! The King of Kings and Lord of Lords came to our rescue. How? He brought with Him (through his life, death, and resurrection) the forgiveness of sins. Through hindsight, we have an advantage over Solomon. Jesus condensed all the Law of Moses into two commandments: (1) Love God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength, and (2) Love your neighbor as yourself. To that, he added one more. (3) "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."

So what is the meaning of life? What is our purpose? Honor God, and Love (1), Love (2), Love (3). Using our individual talents and circle of influence, we each bring our own unique flair to this task, making our purpose special to God. Enjoy and appreciate good food, good friends, gainful employment. Treat everyone with respect and kindness (even if you think they don't deserve it). With the heart of a child, love God, have love and compassion for those around you, protect the innocent, and give generously to the needy. Then, may God bless you richly in Jesus Christ! That is my Christmas message to you all, this December 25, 2010.