The Eternal Nature of Knowing God - April 12
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 1, 2, 3; PM Psalm 4, 7; Dan. 1:1-21; 1 John 1:1-10; John 17:1-11
Yesterday, I had the wonderful opportunity to witness one of our young people receive the rank of Eagle Scout. During the court of honor, one of the traditions is for the Eagle Scout to place a pin on their parents as a sign of the accomplishment and an awareness that more than likely, the parents have helped support the scout in their endeavors. It’s a reminder that most of our accomplishments are shared with the people who support and love us.
As I watched Walden place the pin on her mother and father, a flood of memories came rushing back. For the first time in probably twenty-five years, I sat thinking about the moment my grandmother showed up at my own Eagle court of honor with the three pins placed on her by her own sons which included my father. It is one of the last memories of my grandmother and remembering that moment filled me with the presence of her love. Remembering my grandmother, and her act of love, allowed me to physically feel her sense of love, even after her being gone for so many years.
One of the greatest questions of our faith is to wrestle with eternity and eternal life. The Gospel of John addresses this in a number of ways. “I have come so that you may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). And in today’s Gospel, we hear an interesting take on eternal life when John writes, “And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). John seems to suggest that eternity is simply knowing God. And if God is love, then knowing God is about experiencing God’s love.
Yesterday, for just a moment, I was washed over with the love of my grandmother, even twenty-five years after my grandparents traveled a few hundred miles to see me place a pin on my own parents. Remembering her acts of love, or more importantly, knowing her acts of love, helped me to once again feel and experience her love. For just a moment, I got a taste of the eternal quality of love.
How much more has our Lord done, who created the heavens and the earth, and who gave his life so that we have life done for each of us? Maybe, what John offers us is to experience God’s gift of eternal life, is to know something about the love that God has for each of us, to let it perpetually wash over us, filling us with redemption, hope, and renewal. Maybe, to experience eternal life is to let God’s love be our animating force.
This still doesn’t answer the questions about life after death, heaven, or eternity, but it does suggest that at the root of eternity is knowing God and knowing God’s love, and I can live with that.
John+
Questions for Self-Reflection: What memories of love are the most profound for you? How have people shown or modeled love for you in your life?
Daily Challenge: Spend some time with a few old pictures or items that remind you of the people that have loved you. Share a story with a friend or family member about someone in your life who has had a profound impact on who you are today.