So who would I most like to talk to soon? The three biggest things in my life are Family, Music and Christianity.
I look forward to meeting my daughters who have grown up and moved to new locations. It’s always a joy to see them. And those in my family who have passed away, such as my mother and father, I look forward to meeting them in heaven.
That’s what the country song, Will the Circle Be Unbroken is about. The title is a little puzzling, but I just think of it as something that is temporarily broken being fixed.
I was standing by my window
On a cold and cloudy day
When I saw the hearse come rolling
For to carry my mother away.
Will the circle be unbroken
By and by Lord, by and by
There's a better home awaiting
In the sky Lord, in the sky.
Heaven is a reality, but if I’m allowed a little fantasy, I would like to meet myself as I was 20 years ago and myself as I’ll be in 20 years (if I’m still around). Let’s suppose that all three of us met up and had coffee together.
That would be cool! I sometimes think that such a thing is an analogy of the Trinity. All human analogies fall short. How could we ever think that we could fully understand God? But in a small way, there’d be one me yet there’d also be three me’s. So it would be a tiny bit like the Trinity!
It would be fascinating. Getting back from my silly hypothetical scenario to the Trinity, the point is often made that God is love. Love is at the very core of his being. So before anything was created, God loved. But what could God love when there was nothing else? Love existed within the Trinity.
John 1:1-3
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made…..14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 17:24 – “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.”
Music
I’ve always been a music fan, particularly in my teens. There’s a whole list of musicians that I’d love to meet. Of all the people, I suppose I’d like to meet Paul McCartney. I saw him perform at Live Aid in 1985 and in Dublin in 2010 with my family.
The thing is, with interviews and biographies, you can get quite close to feeling that you know somone personally. I might even be shy or awe struck if I met him in real life.
Christianity
I have met some famous Christians; at least some Christians named on Wikipedia. These include John Stott, R.T.Kendall, Geoff Thomas, David Pawson, Peter Masters and Wayne Grudem. There might even be more. But I’d really like to meet the Apostle Paul. You might wonder why I don’t say Jesus. Well, I will meet him in heaven. But I’d be thinking in terms of a sort of a coffee shop meeting. I can’t imagine doing that with Jesus. Even the apostle John in Revelation was overwhelmed when he met the risen ascended Jesus.
Rev 1:17-18
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
So, I could imagine myself asking Paul about some of the issues that Christians are divided about. Let’s suppose that we could invite him to Limerick or Cork and have a question-and- answer session. Roman Catholics, Protestants, evangelicals and various Christian sects could be invited. Would such a session solve all our divisions? Well, they had the apostle Paul in the New Testament, but it didn’t necessarily solve all the divisions. Even if we did resolve issues, after he went away again, other issues might emerge😀.
The best we can do is use his guidance from the New Testament. And because Scripture is inspired by the Holy Spirit, it’s not just Paul’s opinion that we’re getting. And the core truth of Christianity, which is to repent and trust in Jesus in easy to grasp. We might be divided about some of the details, but perhaps God’s main concern is that we love God, we love others, and because we’ll always fall short, we ask his forgiveness on a daily basis, and we will be forgiven because of the death of Jesus. This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try to figure out all doctrinal details, but think of these verses from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, which are very much the core message that all can agree on:
Matt 22:37-40
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
We should always try to love God and others, but we will fail, which is why we need a Saviour:
Mark 10:45
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus died on the cross for sinners, but we need to repent and believe to gain forgiveness. We do this when we initially commit our lives to Christ, but we continue to seek forgiveness for our daily sins and renew our commitment , as outlined in the Lord’s prayer and in the hymn, Oh Happy Day.
O happy day that fixed my choice
On Thee, my Savior and my God!
Well may this glowing heart rejoice,
And tell its raptures all abroad.
Happy day, happy day,
When Jesus washed my sins away!
High heav’n that hears the solemn vow,
That vow renewed shall daily hear!
Till in life’s latest hour I bow,
And bless, in death, a bond so dear
Luke 11:4
4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.
And when we do repent and believe, we can be sure that we will be in heaven.
John 5:24
24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.
Finally, even if I can’t physically meet Jesus, I can speak to him anytime in prayer. I can feel his presence. I won’t get a verbal answer, but just as I mentioned earlier in relation to pop stars, when you read biographies and get to know all about them, you can feel as if you’re meeting them. This feeling is even more intense with the Bible because the Holy Spirit brings it alive. And because God is omnipresent, you can be with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit anytime. In fact, He is never away from you, though sometimes he manifests his presence more than other times.
So, I’ll finish with one more song. Only a Prayer Away, which emphasizes how close we can be to God.
Hibernia Gospel 