On Eternal Life
If you think the motive behind my faith is eternal life, all I can say is that I wanted to nap for eternity every other day throughout this journey because of people. I tried to take my first proper holiday in April last year, and some motherfuckers decided to fuck it up for me. The only thing that kept me going and raised my spirit every time was His love.
On Monday evening, I attended a discussion on God’s existence organised by the King’s College London Philosophy Society and chatted with a couple of attendees. One of them wanted to know why a righteous God would allow the existence of sin and evil in this world. My answer to that was disobedience. It was not God who brought sin to this world; it was our disobedience and rebellion that allowed and sustained the existence of sin and suffering. I also told them that I would have thrown myself out of the balcony more than a dozen times now if I didn’t have Him.
They also had difficulty seeing God’s work in their life and the world. I suggested that they keep an open mind and give Him a chance to show them His love. I don’t think we could ever accurately describe an omnipotent being since we are, by definition, not omnipotent, but if I had to choose one word to describe Him, then it would be love.
The legendary Mr Noisy Gong once said love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. For me, knowing Him is knowing Love, and knowing Love is knowing Him. Do you know Love? Do you believe? Do you have hope?
Matthew 22:34–40
The Great Commandment
[34] But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. [35] And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. [36] “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” [37] And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. [38] This is the great and first commandment. [39] And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. [40] On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (ESV)
1 Peter 4:7–11
[7] The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. [8] Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. [9] Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. [10] As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: [11] whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (ESV)
1 Corinthians 13
The Way of Love
[1] If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. [2] And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. [3] If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
[4] Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant [5] or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; [6] it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. [7] Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
[8] Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. [9] For we know in part and we prophesy in part, [10] but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. [11] When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. [12] For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
[13] So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (ESV)
Stand by You
Song by Rachel Platten
Partial lyrics below
Even if we can’t find heaven, heaven, heaven, heaven
Hands put your empty hands in mine
And scars show me all the scars you hide
And hey, if your wings are broken
Please take mine ‘til yours can open too
‘Cause I’m gonna stand by you
Oh, tears make kaleidoscopes in your eyes
And hurt, I know you’re hurting but so am I
And love, if your wings are broken
Borrow mine so yours can open too
‘Cause I’m gonna stand by you
Even if we’re breaking down
We can find a way to break through
Even if we can’t find heaven
I’ll walk through hell with you
Love, you’re not alone
‘Cause I’m gonna stand by you
