Mark Dohle
Well-Known Member
Powerful Illusions
“Through my rising from the dead, offer the resurrection of your own body at the general resurrection. Offer the resurrection of each member of your family, of all those who have passed before you and those who will outlive you, and of all the people you have ever known—all of them. Let them be like a procession around my resurrection for the glory of God the Father.”
Bossis, Gabrielle. He and I (Kindle Locations 1341-1344).
Pauline Books and Media. Kindle Edition
Pauline Books and Media. Kindle Edition
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I believe that there are two illusions that are powerful operating forces in our lives. One is that we will live forever, that death is for everyone else, but not for ‘me’. The other is that we are isolated, alone, and on our own.
It is true that I often meditate on my death, yet it as an observer, I am watching. At my death, I will be experiencing what is going, not observing. To actually ‘believe’ I will die is really not that easy. Death is final, once I am gone, I will never return to this world, and in the end will be forgotten like the many millions that have gone before me.
How I look at death will have a large impact on my life, if I think about it regularly. Since death is not a pleasant subject, even someone who is 99 years old may live as if he or she will never die. Yet even if this is true, we all know that everyone dies.
One of the gifts from seeking (trying) to live a deep prayer life is that the feeling of being alone is not actually true. To have faith in God is to understand this truth: “In Him, we live and move and have our being”. We all swim in the presence of God, and in that is our connection with others. Yet it takes ‘faith’ to deepen one’s awareness of that often overlooked reality. Yet, the illusion is there, but it helps to know that all those we have met, those we know, our ancestors make up a beautiful tapestry in the eyes of God. To not believe that, to place, one faith that in reality we are each trapped in our own subjectivity forever, bears its own kind of fruit.
In the NDE experience which is a subject that I love to study and ponder over, does in fact point to a broader reality, one that is actually mind-boggling. One aspect is that everyone we meet, even for only a moment remains with us on some level, the connection cannot be broken.
I believe that the Resurrection of Christ Jesus also points to our deep interdependence. For he stated that he can be found in the least. In fact, it is important for our own hearts and soul to understand that. Each human being is connected to Christ, he is our brother, as well as High Priest as stated in the book of Hebrews chapter 8.
So pray with faith, with a heart that is steadfast even in the midst of weakness, failure, fatigue, and suffering. Go deeper in and higher up. Prayer is the door, grace is the key, and Jesus never stops knocking on all hearts.-Br.MD