I once had an uncle John. He and his family of six were travelling by car on vacation several thousand miles. One day two of the journey they were involved in a horrific accident that decimated the young family. Before the accident, I am sure they had all been excited, planning what they would do at their destination, vacationing in a new and unfamiliar place.
We all know of people, including ourselves, that seem to get fixated on the end of the journey rather than enjoy the present moment. How many of us are looking forward to Christmas and find the journey there troublesome, annoying and taxing? I suppose there are people who even lament, 'I can't wait until Christmas is over and done with'. How about how many days left to retirement or the various 'count down clocks' available on apps.
When I was freshly 'out' as a gay man at the age of 50, I was looking for a relationship with a good man. So many of the people I met fell into some kind of 'scene' or lamented the arduous dating process. I feel I was graced with a different attitude. I looked at dating as simply meeting new people. I was astounded by the variety and goodness of so many of the guys I met. My goal was not marriage or a steady person unless that happened. If it was meant to be it would be. I, in the process of dating, I met a bunch of people, some of whom I still call friends.
This over-concern for the end goal is often very true in religion or faith. We can see ourselves as saved and live life arrogantly and with our noses in the air because we 'know' we are saved. From my life experiences I know that absolutely nothing is guaranteed except for the love of God. Even the love of God will not help though if you choose not be saved. I mean, God does not send you to hell ( if there is one ), you send yourself by your choices. If that is your choice, I am sure God weeps.
However we can manage to stay focused, that is what we should do, not pretending we are already at goal or simply seeing only the goal. We need to stay focused on our lives in the present, exercising our faith by loving abundantly, freely and without judgment.
Luke 20:27-40
Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question, ‘Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; then the second and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.’
Jesus said to them, ‘Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. Indeed they cannot die any more, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.’ Then some of the scribes answered, ‘Teacher, you have spoken well.’ For they no longer dared to ask him another question.
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