Eternity in the human heart

God has given all of us a deep realization that there has to be more ‘out there’.  There must be some elusive Force or Being much bigger than we are.  Humans have always searched for the big picture that must give wisdom, the truth that helps us understand who we are and why we exist.  Job 28 is a beautiful ancient poem that addresses this quest for wisdom. 

Naturally our centre of existence moves in an area that is dominated by self and society.  Humans need communities to satisfy their needs and to keep their selfishness in check.   And yet, there is this persistent story across the ages and the nations that there is a God.  In fact, over the centuries millions have come to realize that there is a much bigger centre outside their little world: not an abstract Force but a personal Being whose existence is closely connected with their own.  “We are his offspring!”  When God’s Word and Spirit work together in a most powerful way, the truth breaks through.  And when his truth breaks through, it gives a totally different outlook on life.

Suddenly it’s not about us anymore, it’s not even about our families, communities, or countries.  It’s all about Him!  “Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also.  The body they may kill.  The truth abideth still!”

Even though He is no part of the universe, yet He is the centre of the universe.  He is the creator, and He created it for his purpose.  And even after the revolution, He did not abandon us or the universe we live in.  He sent his Son to set things straight.  And only when He is recognized and acknowledged by all as the legitimate centre of the universe will things be right again.  May His Kingdom come!

What happens when the truth breaks through in the human hearts? 

First, there will be a massive re-arrangement of the way they look at God, at themselves, at their communities, and at the universe.  This is even stronger for those, who have grown up in a community with an atheistic or pantheistic perspective.  This change requires a lot of thinking and a lot of learning. 

Consequently, there will be a craving for more understanding.  In Acts 2 we find that the new believers love to listen to good teaching, where Christ is at the centre.  They also love to meet with others, who share this new-found perspective.  In their fellowship they encourage each other to focus on God.  As they spend more time with their new Family, their contacts with the other communities will lose their intensity.  These former commitments are pushed from the centre of their lives.

And then, their lives are changed.  It is the love of God, which transforms them.  Empowered by his Spirit and instructed from his Word, they return to their communities.  And there it is obvious that they have changed.  Fruit of the Spirit are there for all to see .

All these changes create confrontation and tension, but God’s Spirit empowers his people to love, to forgive, and to sacrifice things and relationships.

His Kingdom comes where people honestly and earnestly place God and Jesus at the centre of the universe.  This must be a life-long process for Christians as well as Christian communities.  We all have the tendency and the urge to maintain and protect our status and our pride and to prove that we are right!  Naturally we want to promote our own interests and those of our communities.  However, when God is our focus, we are empowered to abandon other things we treasured or push them from the centre.