As I worship led today, one thing that struck me were the empty seats amongst the congregation. Now I am not saying that numbers are a sure sign of holiness or effectiveness but I have noticed a disturbing trend amongst churchgoers in the last few years - that many people do not want to commit to anything, be it a church, an ideal, a ministry or for that matter..a belief system
Maybe it's a postmodern effect. I think that's giving Derrida, Foucalt and Co. way too much credit. My observations have led me to think that this is something that is not post, or even modern. In fact, it's as ancient as time itself. The problem?
It's called worshipping the god of your glands
When you wake up on a Sunday and stare blearily into the alarm clock, the decision isn't so much to go to church or not, although you might think it is that simple. Rather, it's asking yourself what you have set your thoughts for this life and the afterlife to be ( if you believe in an existence beyond this realm ,that is).
How I live this life, the manner in which I treat my neighbour, the reality of God in my life - all these point to a road map which you've laid out for yourself and it is map depicts your version of what life is all about. And if it does not involve a God, and negates all manner of thought of a deity or anyone else and it's all about me and me alone - then I worship the god of my glands
It means I bow down to the desires of my heart and my eyes and whatever else that drives me. So it's not a late Saturday night that was to blame for waking up late today. You wanted to stay up late. It was you that made that decision to come back at 3am and it's you who made that decision to hit the alarm and roll back to sleep
All this points to a simple fact that God probably isn't that big a deal for you. It is at this point that people get defensive or sheep-faced and start defending themselves by saying things like "you don't know my heart...etc etc)
What you do reflects what's in your heart. You love someone, there's nothing on earth that will stop you from buying the most expensive gifts or doing the daftest things to woo him or her. That's not an effort. It's not a chore. But getting to church, preparing yourself to worship God and interacting with his community of believers is a reeeaaaalll hassle somehow.
These are the same people whom you will never get to say these words honestly: Maybe I'm just not into God that much. As I said, they will completely live in a world that relegates God to somewhere between second and third last but they will happily proclaim the most extravagant statements during the few worship sessions that make it to in a year - " Oh, God, I'd die for you", " Jesus, you are the King of my life" etc etc. See the inherent contradiction?
So does anyone belive it? I don't know if they do. But I can bet that they've never asked themselves the above question - are you ready for eternity?
Because eternity is more than trillions and trillion of years in the presence of God. It's worship, it's adoration and it's that desire to be with him totally fulfilled. If the mere thought of doing a infintesimally small fraction of that on a Sunday even fails to stir you - why bother about the charade or saying that you can't wait to see God? Your actions are contrary to your words. Pardon me for saying that, but that kind of eternity (and it is the one depicted in YOUR bible) is probably hell to you
Which is why C.S Lewis wrote that sending people to hell may be an act of mercy instead of judgement, that there are people to whom an eternity with God would be unbearable pain and that it is better for these people to be placed away from him and his followers indeed. I may not go as far as to say that, but I do mull and observe that for some people; their idea of heaven may be an eternity of lazing around shopping malls satisfying their every whim and craving - and then I think that maybe they are not ready for eternity just yet. Their heaven is here on earth so there's no reason to yearn for something more
If God indeed gives you the desires of your heart, he might just do that - but the answer might surprise the heck out of you.
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2 comments:
John 17:3, "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."
if they don't want to know Jesus now, wy would they want to know him while they are in heaven for eternity? :P
Which is why I think people don't really want the Heaven depicted in the Bible.
They want something that is in their imagination but sometimes I think there's a bit of self-denial involved. I think they know that a created heaven of their own selves is not really a heaven at all even if that's what they think they want.
So, yes, if that heaven has no place for Christ; likewise their life reflects it here
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