THE BOND OF MAN AND GOD

Life or our existence in this world is full of questions. It is a test of our faith — of something we see, or something we don’t and yet we believe in.

Analyzing human and God is in itself a complicated matter. More so, the analytical mind of man enables him or her to continuously search for answers about his or her existence, even to explore about the mysteries of his or her being.

The factors surrounding human’s existence, however, is as vast as the universe he lives in. There are events in a person’s life that are beyond human comprehension. Thus comes a puzzle whether there is an outside force controlling these events.

Who is the creator of this universe? What is the nature of man and what is the relationship of man and God? These questions are common to philosophy, religion and science and they have explored these issues from their own view points. The concepts of human and God are so interwoven that we cannot study them separately.

Most philosophers agree from the fact that the life of human person is different from the life of animals. The human person is different not only because of his or her being rational but also because he or she has this centrality of actions. And this centrality is what we call love. Love is the core of human life. But love itself is not the total fulfillment of a person. Despite having this core, there is this reality that there are still something missing in human life and also there still are some events which cannot be controlled by human power.

There are things like war, injustice, crime, evil which rule in this world. Among these things, death is the greatest of all. We know from the fact and observation that no human person is exempted in experiencing death as the history of human person will tell us. In death, a person reaches the limit of his or her life.

Now, human person searches this missing piece of his or her life and he or she finds it to the Absolute Being or God.

To explain the human and his relationship with God has always been the object of man’s searching and satisfaction-seeking mind. This is human’s intuitive desire that seeks and finds satisfaction in postulating a super human or agencies as the cause or causes of the inexplicable events in the world.

Realizing that in this world, there were so many things that they were unable to overcome, humans began to develop the feeling that there must have been something more powerful beyond their selves existing in this world and Universe. Because the laws of nature bind everything, they tried to learn and seek their cause. From what they got they believed that all of us came from something powerful called God.

In the hope to the Absolute Being, human person then accepts that there is darkness which is part of his or her present life. But he does not accept that it all in this world. He knows that there is a wisdom in it which is greater than in this world he exists in.

Now, we come to the question, is God really existing or is it only made by our limitedness? I read one article about a debate on the existence of a God or Absolute Being. In the conclusion, I was bothered by the answer of the believer.

He said he would rather gamble believing that God really exists even if in the end, it is otherwise. Then, that man loses nothing. But, if he didn’t believe that God really exists but in the end, it was proven He really does, then he loses everything.

Are we like the man who would gamble on the existence of God? Is God really just a product of our mind? If God is only a cover up of our limitedness, we then will not have this dissatisfaction of our essence. We then will be contented of what we now have and not a thing to explore the meaning of our limitedness. Experience will tell us that human person has this drive to seek something greater than him or her that we may call God. God may give this drive to you to realize that He exists.

DEATH: A FESTIVE OCCASION

Death generally is associated with concepts such as darkness, pain, separation, sadness, and fear of the unknown. Most people are mourning because of the lost of their beloved. If we will try to go deeper on death, what is death all about? What are the attitudes of people regarding death? Why do most people hate to talk about death?

Why are we sad when one of our beloved died? Most of you might say that it is an obvious reason that you lost your beloved, but is it really a lost for the dead person or a gain?

In the following paragraph we will try to reflect on the following: First, death and life are not separate from one another. Second, death is understood not as a singular event, but as a continuous phenomenon of being. Third, death is deeply and uniquely personal, as our potentiality for being.

A person in the world has lots of possibilities – possibilities to be and to do something. With it we can say that a person is still incomplete. Why? It is because he or she did not yet obtain the ultimate possibility of a person that is death. In death, a person achieves the possibility of not-having-possibilities. When a person dies, he or she stops being in the world where he or she gets the possibilities. He or she then receives his or her final possibility, the possibility of death.

Death and life are not separated. When a person is thrown into the world, as Heidegger puts it, death is already with the person. From the start, the person is already determined to go towards the path of death. No one can avoid death. It is within us.

Death is not just a single event that happens but a continuous phenomenon of being. It is not the ordinary idea of people that death is a closing stage in a person’s life. They usually think of death as simply a part of the many stages of their lives. It is not related in anyway to the other events in a person. However, the truth is that our life is like a stage play where death is not only the concluding part but the whole conflict of the play. It is not just the passing away but it is our being towards end.

Death is deeply and uniquely personal. My death is different from yours. Your death is different from another person. You may think that the kind of death of one is the same as the kind of death of others. One example would be murder. You may simplify their death by concluding that they all basically, were killed and that makes their death the same. However, the death of a person is different from the death of others since the situation is very different. It is not only because of the time or place, but also the effect and manner of death of a person. Moreover, a person’s outlook of his or her death is different from the rest. It is deeply personal and unique.

Before the death of the grandfather of Alyssa, my friend, we visited him in the hospital. Upon our arrival, I heard from one of her relatives saying that the old man will soon die. Another relative reacted on that opinion saying it is not proper to talk about it. Looking at the old man, I asked myself if the he knows that he is dying. Before we left the hospital, I got the answer to that question. I saw the old man smiling. Is it a smile of acceptance or a smile to put aside the concept of death? Either way he knows that his death is near.

Given the universal nature of death and its tremendous impact on our world, you might think that the process of death would be of fundamental interest to each of us, every day. You might think that death would be a reality for which we would want to account from the start — to know it, to understand it, to address it head on.

But people of today are weakening — prefer to ignore death if at all possible. When they are not busy living, as if death were not going to happen, they create philosophies that make them feel better about death. They are afraid to face the reality that all will die be one rich or poor, young or old because it is the extreme possibility a being.

Death brings us to the face to face to the ultimate condition of being – that we will all die, someday. Some people face this with disgust. Some do not even face this, but run away from this like one of the relatives of my friend.

We must not hide from the reality that someday we too will die. We need to look at death as a festive occasion, in we rejoice for finally achieving the wholeness of our being; since only in death can we achieve our ultimate possibility, the possibility of not having possibilities.

THE MAGIC WAND OF DIVINE LOVE

What comes in our mind whenever we hear the phrase “Divine Love?” Have you ever experienced the feeling of fear? How does it feel experiencing the presence of Divine Love?

Looking at the sky on a clear night, we see some stars brighter than the others. The brightest ones are first-magnitude stars, as astronomers classify them. Then next to the brightest are second-magnitude, and so on. The unaided human eye can see stars as faint as fifth magnitude.

There are levels of brightness, so to speak, in our spiritual experience, too. We go around, day by day, in an ordinary level of awareness, thinking of God from time to time, thinking of a divine thought from time to time, but with no great focus or sincerity or insight or receptivity. Our ordinary stream of conscious life is fifth-magnitude experience with God. We believe in God, but there is no consciousness of any interaction between the divine love and our own mind.

Here we can now ask, how do then people feel the presence of the divine love? Most of us may say that fear strikes most. But why is it fear and not happiness? If it is the divine love, we must be happy but it is like a paradox that we feel.

To explain the feeling of fear, allow me to relate an experience. I have a friend who was a lost sheep. She stopped believing in the divine love. One day, she called me in the middle of the night. I asked her why she sounded fearful and she told me that she dreamt of a shadow that can be hardly seen because of the extreme light told her that she must turn her back in her old ways. She told me that she was perspiring and feeling cold when she woke up. I cannot say that God spoke to her but analyzing the story, we can say that it is because of our wicked ways that we feel fear whenever we experience the divine love.

Despite the fear, God still manifests His love and pulling us closer to Him. This doing of God is a joyful experience. There is that inner joy within us despite the fear that overshadowed it. Why? It is because we respond to this call of the presence of the divine love. At the end, the inner joy will always prevail.

As we turn to God in a deeper focus, in deep need, in great sincerity, we feel His presence stronger. As we wait after making our prayer to let His answer come to consciousness, we may sense some enhancement of awareness of truth, beauty, and goodness. Our spontaneous sense is that such awareness is a gift from God.

The experience of divine love can bless us at any moment. It does not need to be a high magnitude experience to be heartening, touching, encouraging. At the same time, divine love is an experience that culminates a process of growth.

Listen to your conscience. It's the voice of God. It guides you about making the right choice which God wants you to follow.

We may have sinned. But our God is a forgiving God. If we repent sincerely, He welcomes us anytime. We just have to begin a new life with Him and He will lead us to the right path.

Divine love doesn't need to be in big magnitude in order to be felt. It happens everyday in our life from the time of conception until our death up to the life eternity with our Creator.

Despite the gravity of our sin, we need not fear if we want to surrender our life to Him. That's how the magic of divine love works. Then, some mysterious ways, as if with the magic wand of divine love working, everything else will fall in its right place.

SHORT STORY: A LETTER FROM THE HEART

“Have you been crying?” Deanna asked as Landon stepped onto the back deck, carrying both the picture and video of Theresa. In his confusion, he had forgotten to leave it in the bedroom.

Landon felt embarrassed and wiped his eyes as Deanna put down the newspaper and rose from her seat. Though she was in the house for this past week, she never saw Landon cry.

“Are you okay? Are you still thinking of what had happened?” She bumped into one of the chairs as she reached out and took Landon’s hand.

Landon shook his head, “Yes, nothing could be more painful in my life than losing her... and I don’t know what to do now.”

“It is indeed a painful thing for me as her mother too but do you think Theresa would be happy seeing you like that?” Deanna’s free hand gestured compulsively as she asked the question.

“I know... but I couldn’t help it.” Landon paused in a moment, “Life is so unfair. Of all people, why her? Why should it happen to my Theresa?”

Landon wiped his eyes and walked over to the wrought-iron table where Deanna had been sitting. Still feeling heated of what happened, he did his best to compose himself.

Deanna looked up at Landon and her eyes too were watering. It wasn’t just him, after all.

“Life... is not unfair.” Deanna finally said “It’s part of our life to die. Death is one of our possibilities of being human. No one can escape it.”

Sam woke up from his sleep and was crying so Deanna went back to the room to see if he is okay while Landon went for a jog in the beach.

When Landon reached the beach, he saw the usual spot where he and Theresa always go every afternoon to see the sunset. Looking at the place he remembers their last conversation.

“Landon, can you promise me that you would take care of Sam especially when I’m gone?” Theresa asked while reaching for Landon’s hand.

“Don’t say anything like that. You will be well. You will surpass that,” Landon said.

“Please don’t be sad. My leukemia has been profound now. Before you came into my life, I prayed that I will get well for I still wanted to do my dreams but now that I have you and sam, I am happy and ready to face death,” she said in return.

“Please don’t say such things. I know you will live,” he commented.

“Landon, my love, my sickness is now at the peak. It’s already a miracle that I lasted this long. I want you to go on taking care of Sam. Teach him be a good man as you are,” she said.

Seeing that it was time for him to go back home, Landon started to jog. When he was on his way, questions, numerous questions bothered him like what is the meaning of his life now that Theresa is gone?

When Landon passed by the park, he saw a couple in a bench, laughing and holding hands. He reminisced the time when he proposed to Theresa.

“Where are we going?” Theresa asked.

“You have to trust me with this one,” Landon replied.

When they reached the place, Theresa was amazed by it. It was a garden filled with different kinds of flowers like roses, stargazer, and tulips. Looking forward, she saw a small table for two and beside it, there were two men playing the guitar and the other, the violin. It was a perfect place where Theresa always dreamed about to experience.

Theresa hugged Landon tight and said “Thank you, it’s all I dream about.” After saying the words she kissed him in his cheeks.

After the dinner with the music being played, Landon stood up from his chair and knelt before Theresa and said “When you came into my life, my body is calling myself to free myself from within. I was being invited to get out from the selfish “I” of my existence. My love for you is strong. The whole of I wanted you to be part of me. If this love of mine is just a dream of happiness, I would wish not to wake up from it.” Landon paused for a moment.

He reached for something in his pocket and said “You might ask why I chose you and not some other? It is because you are lovable, and you are lovable because you are you. I see a certain value in you, and I wanted to enhance and be part of that value. You are the one who gives meaning to my existence, to my being. I wanted you to be as you are now to me, to be part of my life forever.” Slowly, Landon opened his palm and said “Theresa, would you be the missing piece of my life? Would you marry me?”

Tears fell down from her eyes. Theresa could not talk but hugged Landon and kissed him in the lips. Before the second time their lips touch, she said “Yes!”

When Landon reached the house, he saw how lonely and silent it was unlike when Theresa was still around. He immediately went straight to his room and took a shower.

After showering he went to the room of Sam. He saw that he is again sleeping in the arms of his grandmother. Deanna showed a body gesture to Landon signaling to take a rest but he went to the kitchen and got a bottle of beer.

When he was in his room looking for the photos of Theresa, he found an envelop addressed to him. He laid the letter on the desk. His throat ached, making it difficult to breathe. The overhead light was making a strange prism of his unbidden tears. He reached for some tissue and rubbed his eyes. Composing himself, he started to read it.

My Darling,

I beg your forgiveness that I could not give you this letter personally. My body is weak now. I happily accept now my death for I am assured that you, my darling will take care of Sam. I know that it will be hard for you to accept my end but I want you to remember that my love for you is unconditional. It could not be stopped even by death. It is a love which is endless.

I am thankful that you give light to the meaning of my love. You taught me that love is union under the condition of preserving my integrity, my individuality. Love is my active power, a power which breaks through the walls which separate me from you, which unites me with you; love makes me overcome the sense of isolation and separateness of this sickness.

When you loved me, I experience a feeling of joy coupled with a sense of security from my illness. The feeling of my joy is my sense of being valuable, of being accepted and consented to. I no longer feel the fear of death and the anxiety of trying to be someone else. I experience an exhilarating sense of freedom. At the same time I feel secure, secure because you participate in my subjectivity such that I no longer walk alone in the world but that I walk together with you.

Ironically, I am in the same position as you are during my agony. I know that my bad health keeps me from doing my job well to be a mother and a wife to Sam and to you. I feel guilty about it and thinking of how will you do when I will not be around anymore but as my death comes closer, I understand that I can be at peace. I found out that in accepting death as my possibility, I free myself. I am delivered from being lost in my possibilities. I would like you to accept my possibility of dying if not you keep freedom away from me.

Now, I am assured that even without me, you would do well because I saw your loving care to our son by doing the things which I could not do.

Right now, I don’t think you are ready to face my possibility of dying but my darling, remember that I would always be here next to you. I may not be present with you with my body but my love will. 

Of course, I only wish you one thing. That is, I would like you not to think of my death as the end but as a celebration that the agony of my being is done.

My darling, thank you for coming into my life and giving joy in my sufferings. Thank you for the memories I will cherish forever. But most of all, thank you for showing me that there will come a time when I can be assured of your bright future, Sam and you, even when I will be gone.

I love you,

Theresa

For a second, he started reading the first part of the letter and went straight to Sam’s room. Deanna saw him crying while holding the letter. He asked for Sam and holds him into his arms and kissed him.