I'm sorry that I keep changing the layout of my blog... I feel like I am having an identity crisis or something. This will most likely be the last time. Unless I get bored or something. Which is quite possible.
I found it really interesting that the new topic of discussion for the next few weeks, at church, is "When Life Hits A Wall". There are so many people in my life right now who are attempting to make huge changes, whether it's financial, educational, professional, or just plain leaving the country. I think that we feel stuck where we are. I know that I have talked about this before, but I think that it needs revisiting at times.
Yesterday, Ed quoted Acts... "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,"~Acts 14:22
I am not going to give my opinion on the "kingdom of God", as this is one of the things that I question. However, I know that others around the world whole-heartedly believe in Heaven, and I find myself in awe of their ability to suffer as they do and still KNOW that they will be in Heaven, or by God's side... or whatever people believe about the afterlife. In my mind, I have wondered why suffering has to happen now? Why do we have to wait to find peace? Our time on Earth is so short, in the realm of the universe as a time piece. Why should suffering be so substantial now? I hate that these questions are in my head every single day.
As I am delving further and further into my research, I am questioning God's intervention on the trials and tribulations of the world, at large. I have been reading several books on this topic, and they all say the same thing. God wants us to interact on His behalf. I am trying to do my part in all of this... but I watch those around me sit and wonder what is wrong with the world and do nothing. How can these people complain if they don't offer to solve the problem?? It's like complaining about who is in office, but never bothering to vote.
He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him.~Isaiah 59:16
I find that lately I'm wondering more and more about our purposes in this world. What have I been doing with my thirty-four years and why haven't they been more productive? Have I been so self-centered that I put the world's problems on the back burner?? I feel like I'm on this mission to change the minds of those around me. I take it personally that people are not educated in the problems of the world. I know that this is not my problem. I guess that somehow I feel that if I can get folks to become more aware, that maybe the problem will feel smaller. Somehow, somewhere, at sometime in the near future, trafficing of human beings will be a thing of the past. The truth is that there will always be someone trying to hold someone else down. That evil is always going to be there.
I found it really interesting that the new topic of discussion for the next few weeks, at church, is "When Life Hits A Wall". There are so many people in my life right now who are attempting to make huge changes, whether it's financial, educational, professional, or just plain leaving the country. I think that we feel stuck where we are. I know that I have talked about this before, but I think that it needs revisiting at times.
Yesterday, Ed quoted Acts... "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,"~Acts 14:22
I am not going to give my opinion on the "kingdom of God", as this is one of the things that I question. However, I know that others around the world whole-heartedly believe in Heaven, and I find myself in awe of their ability to suffer as they do and still KNOW that they will be in Heaven, or by God's side... or whatever people believe about the afterlife. In my mind, I have wondered why suffering has to happen now? Why do we have to wait to find peace? Our time on Earth is so short, in the realm of the universe as a time piece. Why should suffering be so substantial now? I hate that these questions are in my head every single day.
As I am delving further and further into my research, I am questioning God's intervention on the trials and tribulations of the world, at large. I have been reading several books on this topic, and they all say the same thing. God wants us to interact on His behalf. I am trying to do my part in all of this... but I watch those around me sit and wonder what is wrong with the world and do nothing. How can these people complain if they don't offer to solve the problem?? It's like complaining about who is in office, but never bothering to vote.
He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him.~Isaiah 59:16
I find that lately I'm wondering more and more about our purposes in this world. What have I been doing with my thirty-four years and why haven't they been more productive? Have I been so self-centered that I put the world's problems on the back burner?? I feel like I'm on this mission to change the minds of those around me. I take it personally that people are not educated in the problems of the world. I know that this is not my problem. I guess that somehow I feel that if I can get folks to become more aware, that maybe the problem will feel smaller. Somehow, somewhere, at sometime in the near future, trafficing of human beings will be a thing of the past. The truth is that there will always be someone trying to hold someone else down. That evil is always going to be there.
How bad, how good does it need to get?
How many losses?
How much regret?
What chain reaction would cause an effect?
Makes you turn around,
Makes you try to explain,
Makes you forgive and forget,
Makes you change?
Makes you change?
~Tracy Chapman
1 comment:
One point that Ed was trying to make is that the kingdom of God is not just the afterlife, or heaven. The kingdom of God can instead be what the world around us is like. Think of you and me and Alicia sitting on my porch talking and laughing and crying together. That's the kingdom of God. When we host the film festival at Evergreen in August in order to educate people and give them suggestions on what to do, that is the kingdom of God. Whenever we strike a blow to the darkness and suffering in the world, we are bringing a bit of the kingdom of God to the world. It's like the kingdom of God is a flashlight in our hands - wherever the light hits the darkness is gone.
Finally, I believe that the bible teaches that the kingdom of God will come to earth, 100%, totally and completely, at some point in the future. Then all suffering will cease. And it's possible that God is waiting on us to bring that about, or at least lay the foundation for it.
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