No, I have not fallen off the back of a truck and hit my head; at least not that I recall. Earlier this week I engaged on FB a post by a former student on the topic of abortion and its wrongness. Other posts began to populate generally agreeing with the wrongness. But then this young man, whom I did not know, began a very disrespectful line of comment about life only begins at about eight months to which I retorted that life begins at conception. He then began to write derogatorily about who decides when life begins, etc, to which I retorted that it is very clear in the Holy Bible. That was met with acidic comments about "that bunch of pages written by a bunch of Arabs over 3,000 years ago ..." And then another choice morsel calling God a "sky wizard" which caused me to respond that he should be very wary of such words for the Bible is quite clear on how things like that are dealt with. There was one more response to which I responded that his comments no longer deserved comment from me so I backed out of the FB dialog.
That conversation has remained in my brain in feeling real sorrow about such disrespect for God but in realizing this young man is certainly part of a growing population of people that simply could care less about there being a God, the Bible is a nonentity and that heaven is a myth. I realize there have always been those around us that feel that way but to read it in such boldface did not anger me but saddened me and that has only deepened as I think more and more about it as a microcosm of society.
All of this is, no doubt, tempered with the thousands of prison and jail inmates I have met in this last decade. I realize some portion of them came to the church services for something to do or to just get out of their cells for a hour or so. But I also realize the great numbers of them attentively listened, fervently prayed, shed real tears, expressed great joy and sought to be better people. So, it is certainly not all bad but quite encouraging.
Yet, to realize that there is a growing, I assume, piece of the population that are truly disconnected from God and His Teachings is, well, quite frightening for His Word creates societal norms and boundaries. As our prisons overflow, the degree of criminality escalates, the heinous nature of crimes worsens, why should anyone be shocked or surprised? Yes, I live in a spiritual bubble for I seek that bubble for inside that bubble resides peace, joy and love coated with respect. I have realized in the last few years why my church has endless numbers of events for men, women and children to be a part for that involvement is a furtherance of the opportunity to stay connected inside that spiritual bubble providing a means to not be tempted to be pulled into things or places that would otherwise create harm to ones spiritual life. That is my understanding which I think is absolutely wonderful. Our challenge, then, is to, through testimony, sharing and planting seeds in an array of ways, move others to want to seek to understand what and why we believe as we do. God takes it from there which is a joy to realize. Our job is to plant and fertilize; He provides the yield!
So, therefore, in that brief FB share which was rather unsettling for me to see God referred to as a "sky wizard" and the Bible "a pack of pages written by Arabs over 3,000 years ago" with inference that therefore those pages, the Bible, have no relevance today, has led to to a renewed joy in knowing that God that inspired the writers of the Scriptures is that same God that has prepared for my family and me a home in Heaven with Him when that time to leave this land of the dying to enter that land of the living for eternity.
It was not intended as I began this blog to preach a sermon but realize it has provided me an opportunity to put to readable words my heart. It is my hope and my belief that someone reading this will be piqued enough to seek to understand more clearly where my heart resides. Thank you for taking the time to read my heart and I wish you a blessed day. My quartet, The Pathway Quartet, is singing a concert later this afternoon to a large group of elderly people as a local assisted living facility and my prayer for days has been that something would be said or sung that would inspire them spiritually. This is such a phenomenal ministry God has opened to us and it is always such a blessing.
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