Faith in Christ may not offer much to those who are convinced they have already found happiness. Those who have achieved purpose and satisfaction through accumulation. Those who count their winnings without doubt or concern.
Christianity is for those who have sorrows and regrets. Christ’s Love is for those of us who would otherwise be losers.
Christ’s Love is for sinners; sinners like me.
Environmentalists tell us how Earth’s different species are interdependent upon one another for survival.
That may be the case. At least, until it comes to humans. There doesn’t seem to be any other species that depends on me.
I can be a planter. I can tend a garden, but, I’m primarily in the business of consumption.
Nature doesn’t need my buildings, it doesn’t need my bridges, my automobiles, and most certainly it doesn’t want my wars. As best as I can tell, nature could bid me adieu and get along just fine.
To those who believe nature created me, I would ask: why? Why give evolution to one capable of extracting all of life from the whole.
There is no question that I was created; for here I am.
But, if I have a purpose, as I believe I do, it isn’t to serve nature.
It isn’t an epic, just an old motion picture from sixty-seven years ago. A simple story told in black and white.
image from guideposts.org
“My one purpose in life is to help people find a personal relationship with God, which, I believe, comes through knowing Christ.”
– Billy Graham (1918 – 2018)
I’m one of seven, nearly eight billion in existence today; three times what there were when I was born. Billions more have come and gone.
Billions upon billions, yet, no two of us are the same.
What is normal for a member of mankind? What must I do to be accepted? What purpose for my being?
One of us discovered how to start a fire, another made a wheel. Were they normal?
Life is not a contest. Does Christ have any interest in my ability to start fires or make wheels? He said my purpose should be to Love God and my fellow man. If I did that, if I truly did that, my life would be judged a success.
I may or may not be normal, why would I care?
I care about You, I Love You!
Before Ronald Reagan was President of the United States, before he was Governor of California, before he was an actor or even a sportscaster, he was a lifeguard.
Whatever your opinion of Ronald Reagan you have to acknowledge the influence of his mother Nell. Nell was married to a man who had become an alcoholic. The family didn’t have much in terms of material goods. What Nell was able to do was to teach her son the happiness found in being Good; she taught him her Christian values. He believed her and those values stuck with him.
At the age of 15, Reagan became a lifeguard at Lowell Park on the Rock River in Illinois. He served in that capacity for seven summers and over the course of that time he is credited with having saved the lives of 77 people. In later years, Reagan stated that he had loved that job, the job of lifeguard.
Regardless, all 77 of those people eventually died. Reagan hadn’t saved their lives, he had simply delayed their deaths.
Today, tomorrow, what difference did it make?
Perhaps, God didn’t want them yet. Perhaps, He used Reagan as an instrument that allowed those souls the time they needed to save themselves, to find true salvation.
Is a day to celebrate forgiveness.
To celebrate the promise of re-birth.
To celebrate awareness, awareness that we’re not given candles simply to illuminate a cake.
I have a book that says the age of humanity will come to an end. It seems to me to be happening now; at least, humanity as I’ve known it.
A new species is evolving. A species uninhibited by spirit. A species that might not see any logical reason for my existence.
Autonomous cars, trucks, farm equipment, drones, airplanes; robots of various types. The other day I read that a poll taken indicated 25% of the population would prefer that artificial intelligence rather than human intelligence run the government. Another article claimed that even at its current level AI is more accurate than human doctors in diagnosing cancer.
And we ain’t seen nothin yet!
It won’t be just truck drivers, doctors, governmental planners and business managers. There’s the military, law enforcement, firefighters, lawyers, judges, designers, engineers, entertainers, artists, perhaps even glamour models that could all be replaced within a few decades.
It’s going to be fascinating.
The obvious question is what will happen to us? Are we going to be a knife in a gunfight? A not particularly sharp knife. Mankind will have to integrate with AI just to keep pace and maintain control over it. Is there any other way? We can’t stop it, those who try will be run over by those who won’t.
I don’t know about the future of mankind, but I expect my humanity will soon come to an end. I can’t make a logical argument for my existence or give more than a personal statement as to the purpose of my being.
God however gives a reason for my existence; it’s simple, He wanted me to exist. He has stated the purpose; it is to Love Him and to Love my fellow man.
At 2 A.M. this morning it will spring ahead to 3. The reason being that here in Ohio we save time. At least we will until November 5th.
I like saving time, it makes my evenings brighter.
Clocks no longer rule my life; time is mine to do with what I wish. I can’t keep it; I’d hate to waste it, so I give some of it to others.
God Loves Danica Collins 