A staunch atheist and avid nature photography enthusiast ventures on a remote edge of the Grand Canyon in search of that elusive perfect shot and accidentally falls into the void bellow.
Fortunately –or maybe unfortunately – for him, at the last moment he catches a protruding juniper root and finds himself dangling a thousand feed above the jagged rocks.
(You can see this is going to be a cliff hanger!)
Besides the violent pain in his shoulder he also has a spiritual epiphany.
He suddenly realizes the impermanence of life, the impending inevitability of death.
So he does what any good atheist would do in such situation.
Prays to Gad like his life depended on it!
Suddenly to his surprise the clouds part and a booming voice from above announces:
- Enough, enough! Stop whining like a little girl. I shall spare your miserable life.
- God is that you?
- Yes it is I the Lord thy father, I cometh to save you.
- What should I do? I can barely hold to this root any longer.
- Let go of the root and thy be saved!
The poor guy looks down below, looks up above, looks down again, than asks:
- Is there anybody else there besides you?
It’s a joke – It’s OK to laugh.
No atheist was actually harmed in the writing of this joke.
I just wrote this as a preamble to today’s questions.
(Yes, you should have known it was a setup :)
- Have you heard the voice of God?
“Don’t be anxious about what you will eat or what you will wear.
Isn’t your life more than its food and your body more than its clothing?
Look at the birds in the sky; they neither saw nor reap nor gather into barns, yet God feeds them.
Which of you by thinking can add a day to his life?
And why do you worry about clothing?
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; nether toil nor spin.
And yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was robed like one of these.
Therefore, if God so clothes the grass, which grows in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he all the more clothe you?
So don’t worry about these things and say, “What will we eat?” or “What will we wear?”
For this is what worldly people seek; and your Father knows that you need these things.
But first seek the kingdom of God; and these things will be given to you as well.”
- So, why are you still holding to your root?
:)
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9 comments:
Holding on to our "root" is to hold on to things of the flesh and to the material world. While we are here, it is hard to let go. Many times I have heard the word of God (or call it what you will) in my life - when I've listened, its been all good and when I have not ... I have regretted it.
Faith and trust is what drives the relationship.
Perspective is shifting. You decide on directions that appeal. You are in the process of transforming.
I think anyone in a dire and seemingly hopeless situation looks to a higher power for intervention.
While we need to nurture our spirit, we do have to nurture our physical beings as well...for good health they sort of go together - and both take work.
The kingdom of God is Mommy's kingdom!
@ Aggie – Do not feel too bad. I have the exact problem – although I am getting better as I am getting older – It seems it is in the human nature.
@ Liara – We all are in a process of transformation. Some times it comes in easy some time it comes in hard. But if you keep looking eventually you will find the truth :)
@ Talon – I believe in Karma.
I believe that if you do the right things – spiritual or material – the right rewards will come to you.
So begging to God is for the people with no faith.
@ Ted – Mommy & daddy please!
Which part of us does not want to let go of the root?
The identity that will cease to exist when consciousness grows beyond it's boundaries.
Mommy tongue, that is. Daddy enforces the laws.
I think the biggest problem is that god is a giver, and we are takers. God is all around us, in the soil, in the trees, that have provided us with food, shelter and minerals etc and we just keep on taking. Sounds corny but it is time we learned to live is to give.
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