Because you want to know what I really think it’s all about? I’ll tell you what I think it’s really all about. I mean I know this can’t be where I’m supposed to be in the long run and Julia’s right about my painting being a God-given talent in some way that’s not being used properly – but what way is that is the question – and yes I bother her because she thinks it’s all come too easily for me, I’m used to that too – but here’s the thing. If I’m really as talented as she thinks I am, then why waste it on “vanity?” – better to spend your whole life, in my opinion, on one great masterpiece that “says it all” so to speak than a thousand lesser ones that never quite make it.
Because it’s true – like Shaw said “I’d rather have written that one great hymn than all my silly plays” because I’d rather somehow say in one great sermon or treatise or whatever vehicle I used what it’s really all about than the stuff we all know will pass away anyway.
For example – getting back to what I think it’s really all about. Everyone of us has a purpose in God’s plan. Unfortunately very few find it. For the simple reason we’re not listening. And Oh we’re looking all right – but we’ll never find it if we’re not listening to God first and foremost. And that can only happen when we’re totally willing to do whatever He wants so that now He can begin to create us in His image rather than the other way around and anyway let me get off that for the moment.
Here’s how I see it: God created us for the express purpose of relating to us on the highest possible level. Not that He needed to of course, but He wanted to. So how do you do that? Create something in your own image that’s perfect and will never be imperfect, disobey, rebel, sin, etc., etc., call it whatever you want, it all amounts of the same thing. But – and this is the first catch – if we can never choose, then we’re not like God. We’re like an animal that simply does what it’s programmed to do. Okay, so now God gives us a free will. And of course this is the next catch. Because if at some point we choose to rebel against God (since let’s face it, God is still God and we’re still really his creation [unique as that may be from all the rest of His creation]) then any opposition on our part is insane because it’s based on the arrogance to think we know more than God or else we wouldn’t be so stupid as to do it our way when Who made us in the first place? and anyway, this is what I’m getting at.
Even if Adam and Eve and even Satan didn’t fall, somewhere down the road (a billion years hence even someone, somewhere because of all this grandeur, power, freedom, and whatever else Eden or Heaven could have afforded, let’s face it, would face the same temptation all of them did eventually! And then if someone did fall, then what would you have? A fallen person – but if it were in Heaven, now it wouldn’t be Heaven because division, rebellion, sin, call it what you want, would now enter into Heaven; therefore, Heaven could now no longer be Heaven if that person were allowed to remain. And that’s only one person. Imagine all the other billions who at some point in eternity maybe now, maybe trillions of years from now also made that same decision (to rebel). Therefore Heaven – could never be Heaven – but a continual battlefield… – and for what? Another Heaven?
Okay, so God of course, knowing all that, instead does it in a preferable testing ground, earth. This way you only mess up something that can’t destroy Heaven. All you’re messing up now is yourself and earth – all of which will pass away eventually anyway. Not that God originally designed it that way, no I believe we and earth were designed perfectly to last forever, but only with the proviso that we continue to allow God to be God. Because you see this is the next catch. You know it won’t because again – somewhere, somehow, sometime, someone, whether it’s in the first few days or a trillion years down the road – someone is going to challenge all that because they think they know more than God and of course now it’ll no longer be the paradise it could’ve been the way Heaven is.
No – so anyway – to get to my point here –
Earth was all along meant to be that final testing ground for this simple reason: rather than have a situation where every fall or rebellion creates chaos again in eternity, God reverses it so that after the first fall on earth (which God knew all along anyway), earth now remains in that fallen state until it’s served its purpose that of giving every creature made in His Image their chance to make that very same decision. You see what I’m saying? Instead of having forever to do it as would have been the case in eternity, now there’s a time limit. Then at the end of time, only those who chose in their lifetime to follow God will enter into the true paradise that now will last forever. And the rest’ll just get what they wanted down here in the first place!
Because if they didn’t want God down here, what’s going to make it any different up there? Because it’ll only be a matter of time up there and once again it won’t be heaven. I mean stop and think about it: God’s going to give them a free pass now – when they never took it on earth?! Wasn’t that the whole point of earth? – so you made the very same choice down here? That you would have made up there? Only difference is instead of starting up there and screwing up heaven, all you did is make your choice down here where it didn’t change anything that wasn’t going to get screwed up anyway! No, only Adam and Eve had the privilege of being the first to screw that up. But it’s still all the same thing, isn’t it?!
– choice!
Only difference now is – locale! – Heaven or earth. You think choice is simply determined by surroundings? A child of alcoholic parents is going to automatically be an alcoholic anymore than a preacher’s kid is going to be a model of morality? No – I believe every person in the history of the world has a choice somewhere down there in their heart of hearts – and to say they didn’t know enough is a crock too – because even God Who’ll be the final judge on that one anyway says “what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made so that men are without excuse – for although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Alhough they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man, birds, animals, and reptiles! They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, worshiped and served created things rather than the creator.”
Because when all is said and done, I believe it’ll all come down to the same thing no matter what the circumstances. Those who want God will have Him. Those who don’t – won’t. A lifetime in our mortal bodies to decide the fate of our immortal souls. Because it all comes down to choice. As Elijah said – “Choose ye this day whom you will serve – if God is God, then serve Him, if Baal is god, then serve him – but why halt ye between two opinions?” because “Today I have set before you life and death, blesses and cursings
“- Now choose life!”
and anyway I can go on and on here – but you see what I’m getting at? How can I even begin to put any of this in a painting?… Julia