Darlene and I have always loved the 1946 classic motion picture "It's a Wonderful Life" with Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, and Lionel Barrymore. For those who may not have ever had the privilege of watching this movie, I will provide a brief synopsis of the story. The main character, George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart), is allowed by an angel to see what life would have been like if he had never been born. Of course, this glimpse permitted George to see how his life had touched/impacted so many others and allowed him to better understand and appreciate that life. And, like George, we can all think of events in our own lives (or choices/decisions that we've made along the way) that have acted like a stone dropped into a pool of still water - sending out little waves from the point of impact and causing everything on the surface of the pool to move.
Recently, I've been thinking about my own life, and how the choices that I've made in the course of that life has impacted and influenced the lives and choices of the people around me. More particularly, I was reminded of one of the great mysteries of my own life - two events separated by almost nine years which have always provoked a profound sense of irony and dissonance. Longtime readers of this blog will remember the story of how my family (three adults and five children) were miraculously spared from the onslaught of a predawn tornado that killed six people, injured over one hundred more, and severely damaged or destroyed the homes of my neighbors on all four sides of the mobile home where we lived. We'd had just enough time to gather the children in the hallway and say a quick prayer when it hit. Then, just a few years later, one of the children who had been spared that day (my niece) died when the ATV she was riding with a friend crashed into a tree. Why?
Why had we been spared that day? That massive F-3 tornado had danced right through my yard, but the single-wide mobile home where we were cowering in the hallway was spared! The large Loblolly Pine trees that stood on the other side of the trailer had been snapped off close to the ground like twigs, but the mobile home that had stood between them and the tornado stayed put! I knew that what had happened was a miracle, but why? Had my quick prayer caused God to hold that trailer in place? Had my neighbors prayed before it destroyed their mobile home? Was I spared to help save my seriously injured neighbors? Were we spared because of the children, or the children that they would one day have of their own? Had my niece been spared because of the impact that she would have someday on someone else's life? Were all of us spared because God had some purpose for one of us, or someone who one of us would touch in the future?
For now, there are no answers to those kinds of questions. However, as someone who believes in God, I believe that we will have the answer to those kinds of questions someday. In the meantime, I do not believe that it is unproductive to speculate about such things. It helps us to be more aware of the fact that God has his own purposes, and that we are not always privy to them (or the reasoning behind them). In other words, not everything that happens is necessarily for us or our benefit - another reason for humility and patient forbearance. For instance, it made me think about the story of Job, and the occasion when Jesus healed a blind man.
You remember - the story found in the ninth chapter of John's Gospel. We read there: "As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. 'Rabbi,' his disciples asked him, 'why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?' 'It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,' Jesus answered. 'This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.'" (John 9:1-3) Christ said that this man had been born blind for that very occasion! Think about the implications of that - allow it to soak into your consciousness/awareness.
Allow yourself just a moment to think about how the decisions which you make today will impact your own future, and those of your loved ones (and maybe even folks you don't even know). Think about the potential impact of your own decisions and choices on others! Your decision to: remain single or marry, have children, divorce, build a house, buy a car, attend college, join the military, move to another state, procure an abortion, or have an adulterous affair - think about how some of those decisions have the potential to impact generations that haven't even been born yet! Think about the decision that Adam and Eve made in the Garden of Eden, and how that decision has impacted all of humanity!
And what if the proponents of the notion that we are part of a multiverse are correct? Take a moment to consider the implications of each one of our choices/decisions multiplied an almost infinite number of times. Think about all of the possible outcomes from all of those decisions actually happening to one of our doppelgangers somewhere out there in the multiverse. Has God (or the universe, if you prefer) determined to someday reveal to us ALL of the consequences of ALL of the choices/decisions that we've ever made? Yeah, when I allow myself to think about these things, like George Bailey, I'm reminded that it's a wonderful life that we've been permitted to experience. Things don't always go our way, and we often have a lot of crap to deal with along the way, but it is still comforting to realize that there is much more to consider than what is currently staring us in the face! What do you think?
Miller:
ReplyDeleteI vacillate between believing that our lives are highly engineered, at one pole, and that everything is nearly random, at the other. As you note, it may all pivot on purpose. Is purpose fine-grained where how I ate my breakfast this morning has inherent lessons and value statements? Or is the purpose of our lives generally to give us an understanding that life is pretty dismal without God's engagement? In the former case, all events are important. In the latter, most events can just happen. Credible arguments can be made for both views.
I sometimes imagine showing up in the next life and having an angel tell me that all I experienced was just the stuff that is "common" to man and that it had no meaning in particular beyond recognizing the need for God. Could have happened much differently, in a better life, to the same effect. I think they would have to tie me down.
Note: I contacted Dennis and made an argument for his return to the Banned blog. I think his ideas are useful and contribute to making a more comprehensive conversation. I don't know if he is going to do it. I used to enjoy sparring with him and many times he sent me packing to do research. I much prefer Dennis to some of the Armstrongists whose writing shows irremediable arrogance and presumption.
-- Neo
Neo,
DeleteI have often observed that Forrest Gump had it right. His Mama and Lt. Dan represented the two poles, and Forrest decided that maybe it was a little of both.
I agree with your observation that this life is meant to demonstrate our need for God. In conjunction with that, I believe that God is determined to show us the utter futility of the choices/decisions that we make apart from him - that God's way really is the best way! However, I also believe that God intervenes at times to keep us and his plans on track.
I agree with you about the value of Dennis Diehl's contribution to the "Banned" blog. Unfortunately, it appears that he has decided not to return. In a way I can't blame him, as you and I both know, the feedback from the people we are trying to help can be very cruel and awash with ignorance - very disheartening. It's those few bright spots (many of them private) that keep me coming back for more - I find it extremely satisfying to know that something I've written has been of assistance to even one person.