An answer to the question, where is God in this merciless society?

"A man went to a barber shop to
have his hair cut and his beard
trimmed.
As the barber began to work, they
began to have a good
conversation.
They talked about so many things
and various subjects.
When they eventually touched on
the subject of God, the barber said:
“I don’t believe that God exists.”
“Why do you say that?” asked the
customer.
“Well, you just have to go out in
the street to realize that God
doesn’t exist. Tell me, if God exists,
would there be so many sick
people? Would there be
abandoned children?
If God existed, there would be
neither suffering nor pain. I can’t
imagine a loving a God who would
allow all of these things.”
The customer thought for a
moment, but didn’t respond
because he didn’t want to start an
argument.
The barber finished his job and the
customer left the shop.
Just after he left the
barber shop, he saw a man in the
street with long, stringy, dirty hair
and an untrimmed beard.
He looked dirty and unkempt.
The customer turned back and
entered the barber shop again and
he said to the barber:
“You know what? Barbers do not
exist.”
"How can you say that?" asked the
surprised barber.
“I am here, and I am a barber. And
I just worked on you!”
“No!” the customer exclaimed.
“Barbers don't exist because if
they did, there would be no people
with dirty long hair and
untrimmed beards, like that man
outside.”
“Ah, but barbers DO exist! What
happens is, people do not come to
me.”
“Exactly!”- affirmed the customer.
“That’s the point!
God, too, DOES exist!
What happens, is, people don’t go
to Him and do not look for him.
So, do you believe that God Exists?

The blind men and the elephant- different relegions experiencing the same thing, differently

There is an old Indian legend about 6 blind men who each wanted to know about this animal called an elephant that was visiting their town. Each experience a different part of it and thus come to very different conclusions

John Godfrey Saxe's ( 1816-1887) version of the famous
Indian legend,

It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind.

The First approach'd the Elephant,
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
"God bless me! but the Elephant
Is very like a wall!"

The Second, feeling of the tusk,
Cried, -"Ho! what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me 'tis mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a spear!"

The Third approached the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up and spake:
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a snake!"

The Fourth reached out his eager hand,
And felt about the knee.
"What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain," quoth he,
"'Tis clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a tree!"

The Fifth , who chanced to touch the ear,
Said: "E'en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an Elephant
Is very like a fan!"

The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Then, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a rope!"

And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!

MORAL.

So oft in theologic wars,
The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other mean,
And prate about an Elephant
Not one of them has seen!

Perhaps the religions of the world, all bantering about whose God is the true one, have only experienced different aspects of his grandeur, and disagree about a God, that none of them had seen!

God is all around, his messages are everywhere

Public toilets are probably the last place anyone would search for salvation, or anything else for that matter. If they are decent enough the worst one would find are cubicle doors and walls riddled with obscenities.

One day I needed the bathroom while in Sanlam centre, and as usual the inner door surface of the cubicle was covered with an array of handwriting styles and marker textures- though no obscenities were to be found- only a door full of proclaimations of the glory of God. Different personalities could be seen in what each individual clearly felt is significant.

Not a single negative remark had been added and several things could be taken from this:

1. God is anywhere and everywhere. His presence can be found and gained where you least expect it.
2. We can find support in the words or actions of strangers.
3. When people are alone, by themselves, they are less likely to deny thhe things that are good and wholesome. If those words were in a public place it may have been interrupted by vulgarities, yet here, where its pretty much themselves, this door, and the toilet pot, the only need they feel is to contribute. Which shows that deep down inside everyone there's a desire for God and what is good.

Ultimately, while the world around us can leave us feeling despondent, there are miracles all around us that is there if only we look, acknowledge, and appreciate it. God is all around us, and he can especially be found in the people around us.

Sometimes it seems like they go too soon, like they don't fight. Dylan Thomas's most famous poem expresses that feeling of despair

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieve it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Forwarded to me by my friend Vashti, something I thought I should share

Layman's 10 Commandments.

Someone has written these beautiful words.
Read and try to understand the deeper meaning of them.

1. Prayer is not a "spare wheel" that you pull out when in trouble, but it is a "steering wheel" that directs the right path throughout life.

2. Why is a car's windshield so large & the rearview mirror so small? Because our PAST is not as important as our FUTURE. So, look ahead and move on.

3. Friendship is like a BOOK. It takes a few seconds to burn, but it takes years to write.

4. All things in life are temporary. If they are going well, enjoy them, they will not last forever. If they are going wrong, don't worry, they can't last long either.

5. Old friends are gold! New friends are diamond! If you get a diamond, don't forget the gold! To hold a diamond, you always need a base of gold!

6. Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, God smiles from above and says, "Relax, sweetheart; it's just a bend, not the end!"

7. When God solves your problems, you have faith in HIS abilities; when God doesn't solve your problems, He has faith in YOUR abilities.

8. A blind person asked God: "Can there be anything worse than losing eye sight?" He replied: "Yes, losing your vision!"

9. When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them, and sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you.

10. Worrying does not take away tomorrow's troubles; it takes away today's PEACE.

Faith moves mountains,
But you have to keep pushing while you are praying

-Mason Cooley

It's been so long since I wrote, and I must apologize for the neglect. Perhaps my neglect is noty such a bad thing- it means I have been busy, it means God has been good to me. While I'm too busy breathing and living it means God has been good to me :).

Today however, is Ascension Day, and this is where I find myself being drawn back to.

Ascension Day commemorates Christ's Ascension into heaven. It takes place on the Thursday which is the 40th day after Easter. It is on this day that Jesus ascended into the clouds after appearing to many of his disciples. We see in the Gospel of Luke and in the Acts of the Apostles that Jesus led them out of the Mount of Olives and instructed them to wait for the promise of the holy spirit. Once Jesus has ascended two angels appeared, and declared to them that Jesus would return in Glory.

Essentially, Ascension Day is a symbol of the second coming, reminding us that our Jesus is alive and that he will return to us in Glory.

Doesn't this say something about the way in which we live? We should live in anticipation, we should live well, we should live wholesome lives so that when he comes, we will be waiting expectantly for our saviour.

Maybe the second coming will come as a mass-encounter, as we see it in the Revelations, or perhaps we all encounter our own 'second coming', when our time comes to go to the eternal home, and there,
coming down from the clouds is our saviour, waiting to take us home.

Ok, this has gotten a bit depressing, basically, lets live it up, lets choose to be happy, let us appreciate all that we have and let us be the light in the world, so that when He does come, there will be some light waiting for Him.