8.02.2012

Life.

I'm not easily prone to anxiety.  I thank God for that.  Over the past year or so, however, I have felt a  growing uneasiness with all of the political, social, and religious tension plaguing our country.  Each time I read a Facebook post about pro-life/pro-choice, pro-Chickfila/con-Chickfila, pro-democrat/pro-republican, we pay teachers too much/we pay teachers too little, yay tolerance/boo tolerance, the Bible does/doesn't say that, such and such presidential candidate will save this country/such and such presidential candidate is a moron, yay health care/boo health care, etc. two things occur.  First, I revisit the thought of packing up immediately and moving to Canada.  Second, when I remember that they, too, have problems, I find myself face to face with the uneasiness.

Last night, after reading Matthew 18, my husband asked if anything in particular stood out from the chapter.  One thing had shot out at me like a lightening bolt:

And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away.  It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire.  And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away.  It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.

Lovely, huh?  I know.  Just hang with me for a minute.  Consider the two contrasting destinations Jesus was talking about here.  How did Jesus refer to them?  Fire and life.  Two very tangible concepts that we're familiar with.  What stood out to me was the word LIFE.  From this short section, what do we learn of this so-called "life?"  1- It's worth sacrificing for.  2- It is a physical location that humans have the ability to enter into.  3- Sin can prevent you from entering into it.  4- There seem to be only two options: life and fire.  

The only "life" that I know and understand is the one I'm living now, and yet, Jesus isn't talking about what I know and understand as "life."  So my present reality seems to be a faint imitation of this other unseen life.  Hmm.

In light of the uneasy, unsettled feelings I've had, this all makes so much sense!  I am uneasy because this isn't True Life.  I'm not going to get all metaphysical or New Agey, but the point remains that all of the... stuff... that is going on in this world is caused by the fact that we are not living the perfect, pure, glorious, satisfying life that God intended us to experience.  This glimmer-- this shadow-- of real life is just that.  It's a shadow.  Boy, I can't wait to see the incredible, picturesque, sweet-smelling, mind-blowing sights that lie waiting ahead.  

Labels