Midweek Meditation: "Signs of Another World"

Without the light, how can we see the beauty of God's creation? Without light, how can we see where we are walking? The human condition is such that light is a necessary salvation in a world covered with darkness. What if the beauty we behold on this earth is only a glimpse of what is to come? What if the light that we have is only a small glimmer of the glory in God's kingdom? What if when we walk in the light, we not only flee from darkness outside, we grow the light inside us? What if the things we see are signs of another world?

"For the Christian, our present world contains clues and signs to another world - a world which we can begin to experience now, but will only know in all its fulness at the end of things. God created the world with these signs and markers already in place." (Alister McGrath, The Unknown God, Eerdmans, 1999, p40)

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Midweek Meditation: "Anticipation"

"We therefore live in anticipation, not fulfilment. Experiences which we have on earth can thus be seen as hints of something greater which is yet to come. If our real destiny lies with some good which lies beyond this world, we should expect to encounter hints of this goodness in this world. They will only be hints - yet they will be real, conveying to us something of what lies tantalizingly beyond us.

The overwhelming sense of joy that comes from achieving something worthwhile can thus be seen as a hint of something even more wonderful that is yet to come.On earth, such joy is transient, fading away with a speed which can frighten us as much as disappoint us. It seems so transient and brief. If we were to pursue such earthly joy for its own good, we would be doomed to frustration and bitterness. But what if such experiences of joy are not to be seen as things to be captured before they fade away, but as hints of a joy which we have yet to experience, something which awaits us?" (Alister McGrath, An Unknown God, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1999, p28-9)

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Midweek Meditation: "Searching for the Land of Dreams"

"Deep down, many of us long for something that is really worthwhile. We are looking for something that really matters. There seems to be something about human nature that makes it want to long for something life-changing. While many people are troubled by the thought of dying, others are disturbed by a much more profound anxiety - that we may die without having really begun to live." (Alister McGrath, The Unknown God, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1999, p12)

The Scripture says,

"And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions." (Joel 2:28)

(Photo Credit: Addicted to Fries link)

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Midweek Meditation: "A Spiritual Hunger"

Starting this week, I will be sharing from the work of Alister McGrath, "The Unknown God," a book on searching for spiritual fulfillment. It comprises several reflections by McGrath on how the world and people at large search for some kind of fulfilment and at the same time having to contend with the paradoxes of life. Today's meditation is on spiritual hunger.

"A noted philosopher once commented that when people had plenty to eat they turned their minds to thinking great thoughts. The point he was making is simple. You need to make sure of your physical survival before you can do some serious thinking. Yet one of the most curious things about serious human thought is that it often focuses on the theme of emptiness. Having satisfied their physical hunger, people become aware of a deeper kind of hunger - a longing for something that will really satisfy." (Alister McGrath, The Unknown God, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1999, p7)

Jesus said: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled." (Matthew 5:6)

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