Up, Up, and Away!

I think most of us have had childhood dreams of flying. I used to dream that I could lift myself up off the ground and float around... that I could move forward and fly just above the ground, or float up and touch the ceiling. It was a wonderful feeling, being free of the constraints of gravity, the burden of matter.

Imagination could be just that, or it could be rooted in an alternate reality, a different dimension, a future state, a passion of the soul. We long to be free of constraints, of critical, judgmental eyes, of condemning judgments by the unenlightened, to do what is right and to feel accepted and appreciated. We long to play unconstrained by the usual suspects. We want to be free, to float above the din, to have the power to make a difference.

We were meant to be enlightened souls. Our spirits do not need to be constrained by gravity. We long to fly because we are not matter having a spiritual experience; we are spirits having a material experience.

Alas, many have become lost in the clamor of existence, consumed by the material. The day to day can become crushing. Not enough time, not enough money, not enough stuff. Got to get more. Got to do more. Busy, busy, busy, too busy to pray, too busy to be still and listen, too busy to rise above. STOP! This is the road to nothingness, or worse. What are we going to do with all this stuff when we are gone? He with the most toys loses the most toys. Life is wasted. Time is up. The ride is over and nothing remains. When your life and mine is over, what we did will be tested by fire. The fire will consume anything that is made of straw and wood... only that which is built of rock (i.e. on "The Rock") will remain. Did we comfort the broken hearted, did we give when we saw someone in need, did we feed the poor, did we clothe the naked, pray for the sick, visit those in prison (literal or figurative)? Did we do it quietly, without seeking any recognition for our works? When we did it unto the least of God's children, we did it unto Him (and vice versa!). Did we pray often, praise often, study the Word of Truth daily, and seek to do His will? Those are the rocks. Those are the things that will last.

We are coming into a time in history when we are seeing many of the things the prophets foretold would happen in the 'end times'. 44% of Americans now believe the natural and man-made disasters could be (or are) a sign that this is the case. The cover of Newsweek this week boldly proclaimed "Armageddon Now". The very thought of this can be a shock to the soul... some protest violently against the idea, but if we are in the end time, things will happen, regardless of their protests. Many people 'come to Jesus' when they come down with a fatal illness, or are mortally wounded, when they can no longer deny their mortality. If we are in the end times, we may experience the mortality of all of humanity at once, and, if the prophets are right (and true prophets always are... that is the test of a prophet), it will be a violent and painful death for much of mankind. Is there an escape? Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes unto the Father but by me". According to the texts, those who are the true believers will be taken "Up, up, and away!" before the really nasty stuff goes down. They will be "rescued from the wrath to come".

Who are the true believers? I used to think it was anyone who 'confessed Jesus Christ as Lord, and believed God raised Him from the dead' that would go to heaven, regardless of how they lived the rest of their lives. It was an immature faith that is all too common in Christian circles today, much to our disgrace. The truth is that unless we daily work to purify our hearts like glass, to seek God's will with all that we have and all that we are, we have not made Christ Lord of our lives... it was just talk. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God". We will probably never (in this life) be perfect, but if we want to fly like superman before the big crash, we need to be committed. When the trumpet blows, I want to be on that rocket. By God's grace and mercy, the ticket to heaven is just above our heads. We need to reach up and hold on with everything we have, and never let go. "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we [the faithful] will all be changed — in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” (I Cor 15). "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (I Thes 4) If these are truely the last days, we could be the only people in history that did not have to pass through death to get to heaven. We could fly to heaven in transformed spiritual bodies! Up, up, and away!!!

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.