Tuesday 28 January 2014

Stand Up For What You Don't Believe In

This morning I was woken up by a knock on the door. It was God.

Or rather, two Christians who wanted to share some bible passages with me so that I might be more positive about the future. This is what they had to say:

What the Bible says:
"God... will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away." Revelation 21:3, 4.

What that can mean for you:
- Meaningful and satisfying work. - Isaiah 65:21-23
- No more sickness or suffering of any kind. - Isaiah 25:8; 33:24.
- A happy, unending life with family and friends. - Psalm 37:11, 29.

Can we really believe what the Bible says? Yes, for at least two reasons:
- God has the ability to fulfil the promise. In the Bible, Jehovah God alone is called "the Almighty" for he has unlimited power. (Revelation 15:3) So he is fully able to keep his promise to change the world for the better. As the bible says, "with God all things are possible". -Matthew 19:26.

- God has the desire to fulfil the promise. For example, Jehovah has "a yearning" to restore life to people who have died. -Job 14:14, 15.

The Bible also shows that God's Son, Jesus, healed the sick. Why did he do so? Because he wanted to. (Mark 1:40, 41) Jesus perfectly reflected his Father's personality by his desire to help those in need. -John 14:9.

So we can be sure that both Jehovah and Jesus want to help us to enjoy a happy future! - Psalm 72:12-14; 145:16; 2 Peter 3:9.

- End -

I smiled and thanked the two ladies for taking the time to share these quotes. They were very pleased and moved on to another house.

On my bedside table I have another piece of Christian propaganda that was handed to me in town. It's a small leaflet entitled 'Where Will You Spend Eternity?' and there's a picture of a man standing on the edge of a cliff looking out t'wards the sea. Evocative. I stuck a little yellow plastic man over the original picture with a pin through its head. It amuses me immensely and that's why I've kept it on my bedside table: My little yellow plastic man is dead now and someday I will be too. That's how I view my future. That's how I'm going to spend eternity.

Dying is natural. Sometimes the thought of it scares me so much I can barely function. The only way I can consistently deal with my mortality is by trying not to think about it. Dying is sad. I love being alive, I don't want to have to say goodbye. I don't want to lose my parents, my friends or my pets, nor do I want them to lose me. Coping with death does not have to mean denying yourself those feelings. They are legitimate. All I can do is accept that I am going to die and make the most of being alive. This is what drives me to work hard, to try new things and to be good to other people. Being alive. For me, nothing is more amazing.

The religious people at my door don't upset me. Quite the opposite. We do each other no harm. They want to share something that they believe helps people. I've come to a stage in my life where I would like to explain why it hasn't helped me, and to share what has.

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