Sparks

How do we come to know the God of Light in this world filled with darkness? Earlier I likened our condition to that of a child whose father is away on a long journey. How does one get to know someone so distant?

Some time ago I was reading an essay by a girl who was trying to learn more about her grandmother. A letter her grandmother wrote, a picture of their wedding day, stories from her mother--all windows into the life of her grandmother. Together they painted an imperfect picture of who this woman was.

The kabbalists have this idea that the Jewish people were scattered to collect "sparks" (by performing commandments) that God had scattered throughout the world. I don't think they are far from the truth. There are moments in time and space everywhere that like windows into eternity, providing a glimpse of who God is. We see His glory in the colors of the sunset. We hear His laughter in the voice of a child. We feel His love in reaching out to a stranger. These are the sparks of eternity.

You see, the truth is that God is everywhere. He is not distant, He is very near--hidden amongst the little things of life. And it's our job to seek Him out.

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
 -- Jeremiah 29:13-14

Return to "Days of Awe"

What If Today Really Does Matter?

There seems to be an idea or more of an assumption throughout the church that when we get to the Kingdom, we will all be made perfect and alike as if nothing we did on this earth mattered. It is this idea that getting into heaven is all that really matters--as long as I make it in, everything else will be all hunky-dory. Sure, we talk about storing up treasure in heaven and such...but I don't think pictures of gold and silver really drives the point home. Now, I don't claim to be an expert on the future Kingdom. I honestly have no idea what it will be like. But I would like to give you something to chew on...not as a new understanding of the Kingdom, but as a different way of looking at life here on earth:

What if our actions today actually have an impact on eternity--more than just who's in and who's out? What if the wounds we do not tend to, the sins we do not repent of, the wrongs we do not forgive--what if these showed up as scars in the Kingdom? What if the love that we give, the joy that we share, the people we embrace--what if these are the things that make our new bodies beautiful? What if our new bodies are a reflection of our spiritual growth while here on earth?

What if this was what Yeshua was talking about when He said "Store up your treasures in heaven" and "Seek first the Kingdom of God"?