![]() | |
![]() | |
![]() |
Spirituality Information |
|
![]() |
Unfinished Business (Part 1)
Most of life can be said to be bad, or problematic, or painful, or sorrowful. Every great religion acknowledges this fact regarding life. Loved ones will die; chronic and painful sicknesses will begin; all manner of afflictions to the body and mind will occur. These are sorrowful things but all a part of life. Life is a lifelong struggle that was forced upon us. We had no say in the matter. We were afforded no opportunity for a "trial run." We were not allowed a menu of options to choose from regarding our culture, physical attributes, or the country of our birth. We were forced to accept life and whatever condition in which we found ourselves. So these things suggest to us that destiny is beyond our control. Life is risk filled. There is a certain degree of risk taking in every venture we pursue. And we never have total security within ourselves for we know that every moment we live our lives are in constant danger. A stray bullet may hit us, a car emerging from nowhere may crush us, a clumsy slip of the foot may incapacitate us, a natural disaster may kill us. So life is unpredictable. But I think one of the most tragic realities about life is in its incompleteness. All labors whether good or bad must come to the same end: "It is soon cut off and we fly away." Some of our days are pleasant, others tragic, most are a mixture of good times and bad, but all are ephemeral and transient. And, we know that our lives are dying lives. The first second life begins, is the first second life begins to end. Everyday we manage to somehow survive; we have only gained another step towards our grave. We are continuously sliding down the stream of time into the ocean of eternity. We make plans and set goals in life never knowing the time frame under which we are working. And somehow, due to lack of sufficient time, our greatest goals in life are never realized. For just when we see it within reach, it is cut off and we fly away. Some of us in our youth started out vigorously and courageously determined to move mountains. We dream dreams of conquering the world and alleviating social ills. We make plans to be the best nurse, or the most dedicated lawyer, or the most sincere politician, or the most devoted preacher. We are determined, like Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, Bethune and others to make radical changes in the world. But then, when we are aged, most of us make the painful discovery that we have only in a lifetime, moved a tiny pebble. Staff Sergeant Jarvis D. Anderson wrote in his poem "The Unfinished Cathedral", The query comes: How long is Life? Threescore and ten - how fast they fly! What I am suggesting is that our lives are incomplete lives. We leave with unfinished business; we get no closure; we do not get to do all the things that we want to do. Father Time will not permit it. Building a temple for God had been David's dream. He himself lived in a magnificent palace of cedar wood, while the earthly home of God was a plain Tabernacle, a simple tent enclosed by some curtains. His conscience was piqued by this apparent incongruity. All, that was material and human of Israel, David's kingdom and power, was expressed in richness and splendor. On the other hand, all that was the source of Israel's divine power and interests was relegated to a worn, ragged tent enclosed with flapping curtains. David was moved by the disparity of the situation; he in a house of cedar, God in a tent. David desired building a temple for God that would reach great heights in dignity on Mt. Zion. Night and day he contemplated the construction and erection of the temple. It became his all-absorbing ambition; it was his ultimate concern and was to be his ultimate fulfillment. This is not to say that David did not have other aims because he did. He wanted to make Israel a great nation. He wanted to uplift the standards of his people. He wanted to extend his dominion and the influence of his empire. But in spite of all these secondary and tertiary goals, his primary ambition was centered on his infatuated notion of building a house for God. And so down through the centuries we hear the echoing of the words of David, "Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent." The tragedy of David's vision lay in the fact that it never became a reality. He became so occupied with statecraft; so engaged in warfare, so preoccupied and busy with the affairs of the world, that the time never came, when he could lay aside these temporal matters and build a house for God. So we learn that the great King David went to his grave with his great purpose and fulfillment unrealized. The great hope that he cherished in his heart never came to pass. And so it is with us. (continued in Part 2) Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, veteran social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach which can be reviewed on her site. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, is expected to be available soon. You are welcome to visit AMEN Ministries: Your Soul's Service Station for spiritual refreshing, soul edification, browse our newly expanded mini shopping mall or review our recommended books you may want to add to your personal library. Blessings to all!
MORE RESOURCES:
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
RELATED ARTICLES
The Garden of Agony (Part 2) David understood the aguish only those who have chosen to cross the brook Kedron and experienced the Garden of Agony can ever fully know or comprehend. David was a great warrior. Psalms For Prosperity The psalms of the Bible are a literary treasure chest of prayers for prosperity. Below is a list of which psalms to recite for common financial requests. Acknowledging Emotions and Feelings We'll begin with a question:What is a moral?I'd say it's something you have an intense feeling or emotion about, generally so intense you would never cross its boundary.Agree?Have you ever crossed a moral boundary? It doesn't feel good does it. You Can Influence Your Fortunes In Life Natural laws exist that serve to maintain order in the universe. These laws are usually manifested as regularity in nature (as in the seasons) or as a relationship between cause and effect. Grace - The Divine Influence of God The greatest frustration in a Christian's life is not being able to get what they believe to work in their lives.You've got people who have studied and believed that it's God's will to heal them. 8 Ways to Plant Spiritual Ideas Deep in Your Heart The fundamental aim of spiritual study is to get facts and principles into the Heart's fertile ground. Ideas must get through habitual and familiar filters; otherwise, the information is diverted from having its full power. The Wisdom of the River: Lessons Learned Over the past few years I have watched the popularity of whitewater rafting grip the vacation market. "Strange", I thought. The Winds of Change Humanity is entering a very critical time in its path of evolution. The winds of change began to blow over eighteen years ago at the event you call Harmonic Convergence but the only ones who felt this at first were those many call star-seeds or light workers. God Can See Your Heart Today is the day that I'm getting back into exercise. I sprained my ankle last week and although I've been swimming and rode the stationary bike, today was the day that I decided to go for a 1 hour walk. 10 Interesting Facts about Archangel Raphael 1. Raphael means "God heals. Spirituality: Enlightening Cinema "Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because you know something. Moving On Gracefully: Leaving Your Spiritual Group While there are alot of warnings and admonishments regarding what to look for in a spiritual community there is very little to rely on when you are contemplating moving on.Most folk consider leaving after some kind of personal blow up. See You At Midnight: Strategy For Terrific Speed To Greatness! The gate of every year is the begining of that year; the gate of every month is the begining of that month; the gate of every week is the begining of that week; the gate of every day is the wee hours (from 12midnight) of that day. Are you presently STRANDED or STAGNANT in your journey in life? It is perhaps because you're locked out by a gate-keeper, from entering into fulfilment and you don't even know. Do Good Luck Symbols, Charms, & Talismans Really Work? Symbols and symbolism are popular in almost every civilisation, culture and religion that has evolved on Earth. They are deeply ingrained in the way of our life itself. Create Miracles in Your Life Until recently, miracles were usually credited to a supernatural power. The miracles in the Bible are a good example. Are Your Children Growing Up Too Fast? Each time our children graduate from one stage to another (i.e. Distorted Perceptions Often, in being dishonest about our own faults and failures, we have been far too insensitive and callous toward others who have fallen short. It is really unfair to others becuase all human judgment is partial, one-sided, and superficial. Understanding the Gospel of Matthew and Why it Matters - Part 9 Matthew 3:4-6 John Baptizes the People4 Now John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him,6 And they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 3:33am? What is it with angels and digital clocks? I fell asleep just after 11pm and am still trying to recover from the switch to daylight savings time. I really don't need to be up and working right now, or do I? I had asked my angels earlier today to help me write some more articles. Why Dont I Get What I Want? The smart 'spiritual' answer is 'you always get what you want'. But that isn't very helpful, because if you can't pay the power bill and you want to be warm, there's clearly a conflict, and you can justifiably say 'I'm not getting what I want. ![]() |
home | site map |
© 2006 |