A Time to Draw Closer

Terrible things are happening around the world.

One only has to turn on the news for proof.

There is really nothing “new” about this.

Terrible things have been happening throughout all of human history.

In reality, each of the terrible things that happen is merely a symptom of a much bigger problem.

Humanity, as a whole, has lost touch with God.

How did this happen?

It stands to reason that one side of this equation had to move for there to be more distance.

God did not move.

God is eternal and constant.

Therefore it must be humanity that has moved away from God.

The question then becomes: Why would humanity choose to move away from God?

I think C. S. Lewis said it best when he said, “All that we call human history--money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery--[is] the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.”

People pursue all manner of things in an elusive search for happiness.

Wealth, fame and power are a few of the things that have the power to seduce people.

People pursue these things in an attempt to find happiness.

This attempt is futile because these desires can never be fulfilled.

No matter how much of these things one gets, the desire for more takes hold; more wealth; more fame; more power.

This never ending and fruitless pursuit often comes at the expense and misery of others.

Thus, new headlines are written and the distance between humanity and God becomes even greater.

There is a beacon of hope that emerges from all of this.

Even in the darkest of times lies opportunity.

History also tells of people of faith who tried to make a difference.

They tried to make things better for those around them.

All of this can be summed up very simply.

If you have God, you have everything.

If you do not have God you have nothing.

The season of Advent is a wonderful reminder of what sets Christianity apart from every other religion in the world.

Other religions are about man reaching up to a god or gods.

Christianity is about God reaching down to a fallen mankind through Jesus Christ.

John 1:12-13 (NET) - But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children  —children not born by human parents or by human desire or a husband’s decision, but by God.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, December 11, 2015.

I’ll be back here on Friday, December 18, 2015