Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Believing in the Eternal Realm

One paranormal event may make a believer of the sceptic. Two such events are likely to assure the believer that there are realms in the heavens we know nothing about in our present existential dimension.
There have been at least two such events in my life. The first was an absurdly creepy feeling between a friend and I when our eyes locked momentarily. We were about 18. Both of us were instantaneously and simultaneously frightened as to what was experienced in that moment. The second occasion was equally awesome. I had been dictating in prayer language of lament using a dictaphone for my use the following day. At one point I had said something on that recording that did not honour God. It was only the following day as I played back the recording that I realised an eerie echo, like God’s audible voice, and it was a rebuking tone. The more I played it, the more I realised it was of the angelic realm. I played it to others and they agreed it was a distinctly eerie sound. The recording has since been ‘lost’ and God only knows if I’ll find it again.
I remain convinced by my own experiences that there is another realm, and possibly several realms, beyond this realm which we can call existence. It’s not like the other realms don’t exist, but to us they don’t in tangible terms.
We may say “Who should care?” but we should care because we are not in existence for long. Three score and ten and then a few more and then we are gone; if we’re fortunate. Life is more fleeting than we realise and if we don’t believe in the angelic realm – God orchestrating eternity – then we may be rudely shocked; forced to rescind our folly. Much scepticism has no part in the truth beyond its stubborn ignorance.
In order to grow.
So, go now and believe,
The Word entrenched in your heart,
Go now, be free,
And play your part.

The Reality of Otherness
This life shows us what is visible and tangible and sufficiently real for us to believe in; what we have come to call reality. But just because we cannot see other things doesn’t mean they aren’t real. We no longer see that dead loved one and it almost appears they never lived, but of course they did. Either they have flown away somewhere or they now cease to exist. The hope of this life contends with the possibility that there may be some better place where we can rest in peace – in the next life. Can the atheist truly say “rest in peace”?
We would be fools to categorically say there is no other realm – otherness – out there. How can we say this when we have no way of proving it, because we are limited to our realm of understanding, unless we have been gifted with visions of another realm? But even then, who is to believe us, and are we to believe even ourselves?
Because we do not know a totality of understanding we have to assume there is much we don’t know. It brings us comfort to know there is a purpose to this life that is linked with an eternal purpose.
Best of all is living with the hope that we are being urged on and encouraged by a heavenly angelic host, who, like God, are for us and never against us.
***
There is much we do not know and will never know until we leave this life. That’s enough to fill us with the openness that there is a realm beyond this life; one orchestrated by God, for his glory.
© 2013 S. J. Wickham.

 

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