Here is a Spooky thought for ya…
What if death is real? …
So many of us seem to motivate through this world (especially when we are young) as though death is somehow not a real thing. Or it is so distant that it does not pertain to us.. At least most of us don’t give it much of our time in thought……..but what if ..
Once we leave this world, there is another place, our Spirit (and for us Christians our God Given Glorified Body) eventually goes to…
And What if, once that happens, it all really does last for a long long time ….like forever..
Wouldn’t it be worth putting some effort into making that existence a pleasing one, or at least as pleasing as “humanly” possible?
And What if:
Those that have “gone before us” … well let’s say ..they are already there…. and they can see us and hear us… And NOT JUST “see us” like they are watching a soap opera or “reality show” on tv… (although that may be bad enough)
What if they can see our souls ???
Not just the good part of our souls , You know, … all those sneaky little venial (or worse) things we have ever done and those things that, “before” they left here they didn’t know about us ….
Hmmmmm doest thou thinketh .. their opinion of us has changed?
Somehow doesn’t it seem scary to think …. that the last time you were doing …or thinking…or saying something nasty … that your grandma was actually “watching” your thoughts and hearing your language or viewing the actions involved?.. or your Dad . or Mom.. Brother… Sister …or That friend from School that “died early” ??…..
Does it make you think that:
If “someone I knew” was watching or listening… oooh my…
OR.. “Well if I had known they were watching” … “I never would have done it or said it”. (whatever “it” is or was) Out of shame or respect or honor or fear or wow maybe even out of LOVE ….for THEM…..
What if: Out of Love (which they would now be in the presence of full time: for the Nature God is Love) they are watching us even right now? ….
We mostly seem to be of the opinion that those that have gone before us, are at some disadvantage by NOT being here on earth. And that WE should speak highly or nicely of them, to others that are still on this earth. (and we seem to believe that speaking as such is some kind of Virtue on our part)
While SOME of that last paragraph is a proper way of thinking, the reality of the situation may well be that THEY have now been given the real story and by their new ( or fulfilled ) nature…are able to – view not only our actions … but the motives (in detail) of OUR lives … past and present. And anything we say (other than prayer) would be little more than egotistical babbling.
Who is at the disadvantage now? Who would be privileged now,? to have something NICE said about them, and to WHOM?
Don’t let it worry you. (well maybe not) If they are (or were) watching and listening, they aren’t (or weren’t) “Judging” you, but rest assured they aren’t laughing about it either.
For they are only seeing what God has seen all along … and any harsh “Judgment” we are bringing upon ourselves ….
And what if: THEY .are able to intercede for us, as much of Scripture (prior to the removal of the books known as the Apocrypha) and Tradition has taught for so many centuries.
BUT What if THEY can only intercede for us IF we are attempting to play by the rules of God, and IF we are viewing flaws within ourselves, with the same (or even a spark of the same) disdain that they see them with.( although something tells me that THEY see the flaws with compassion and leave the “disdain” to God or for after His wondrous compassion is refused for the last time and His Justice is called upon )
Conclusion
Try to wrap your mind and heart around the truth that:
The need for us to have to envision “someone personal” in this scenario is a blatant admission to our lack of love, or even fear, of GOD, and an admission that WE are not on a “personal” basis with HIM.
For if HE were our personal Savior, our personal Friend, our personal Love… it would always be the thought of HIM (not some earthly friend or relative) watching, which would cause the needed reaction within us to never NEVER commit any sin, even in thought ….
So IF this scenario DID or does touch a nerve (as it did the first time my mind sent it to my heart) it may be that serious work is needed in the realm of putting God first and all other persons and things in the perspective of the larger and longer lasting picture.
We need to realize that it was HE that allowed us these other humans in our earthly (as well as eternal) lives, so we can seek Him through them not IN them…and that they are NOT his replacement, but a reflection of Himself. Just as we are to be.. For with God all things are possible….