Monday, April 30, 2012

False Reality

These thoughts came about after lying in bed for 2 hours without being able to sleep. Here is a sample of what goes on in my head during those times. It will be useful for one to have a basic understanding of Plato's 'Allegory of the Cave' to read the following post... If Plato is right, and I believe to some extent he is, this world is but a shadow of reality. What we experience is a false mimicry of what is true. If this in itself is true then what Paul says in Philippians 1 makes complete and utter sense. “I desire to depart and to be with Christ which is better by far.” Who would rather die than live? Someone who knows that this life is not all there is to offer. Someone who knows that this life is in a state of brokenness that will not be mended fully until death or Christ's return. This desire should be that of every Christian, yet we desire what this world has to offer, even though what this world has is only a false mimicry of reality. I used to think 'I want to experience marriage before I die.' How foolish! Marriage in this world is imperfect and fallen. It is only a shadow of Christ's marriage to His bride, the Church. So in Heaven we experience true, pure marriage, unadulterated by sinful people, but lived out by the Sinless One and the Forgiven. I used to think, 'I want a family before I die.' What truer family could there be than being united with the Heavenly Father face to face? A father whose love surpasses anything fathomable here on earth. Then also we get to experience eternity with our brothers and sisters in Christ, a family so large that it would be near impossible to count. Some might want to see the world before they die. If this world holds as much beauty as it does with its lush rainforests, breathtaking scenery, massive mountains, beautiful waterfalls, and captivating sunsets, how much more would the true reality hold? These beauties being but a shadow of what is real, what mind blowing creation is there in the presence of the Holy One? Now, this is not to say we should seek death, that would be folly. Even Paul knows better, “It is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.” We must stay here in order to advance the kingdom and guide others into the loving arms of Jesus. But we must not get caught up in this world, we must not get caught up in this life. We need to be Kingdom focused and know that there is something better, something greater in store, the true reality. The reality in which God dwells in, in my opinion, with our words could only be described as a physical form, but God's being is truly physical and what we perceive here on Earth as physical is but a false mimicry of that which is real. Now Jesus, I believe, has a physical form, yet his form is different than ours now. He has a heavenly, glorified body, one that is true form, ours being the false and fallen form. That said, in a sense, this life isn't real, what is real is God's country. We should live with this mindset. Much of what we face would seem more trivial. The kingdom would grow and we would live more selflessly... Just a thought.

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