We moderns have a motto: Everything is Possible. Just carry on everything as usual. Only do not be disturbing, it is better for you and your fellow man.
Difficulties on the Way to the Heavenly Spa
But how should I deal with my own guilt? Where should I look for help? My wife? My friends from football at my favorite pub? Maybe I should just buy a glass pyramid or get a tattoo. Maybe that would help restore my inner harmony.
Here in California, we have the opportunity simply to change our religion until we arrive at the one that says "Do not worry, everything is good."
Really? I think many have lost both their inner harmony and their awareness of their transgressions -- both given to us by God. These feelings can be ‘worked out’ in so many ways today. You can start drinking, go to a psychologist, fitness-train like crazy or just go shopping.
I think that many who still believe in God today think that He is a God of great love, and that they'll ‘be fine’ with God. They think that their lives are not bad – they keep more or less to the law - and that at the end of their lives God will be waiting for them in heaven and welcome them into His Heavenly spa.
But these people probably will have difficulties with the assumption that everything will be OK. They are grounding their hope in the faith that this God of great love will say, "Well, I accept that things did not work out so good with you; but anyway, that was reasonably good."
But if God is pure love, I do not think that there is ‘reasonably’ a chance for us to be in His presence and not connect 100 % with him and emulate His infinite love. Can we ever reach this goal? I would say "no" simply because we are human -- but we can try to aim as close as possible.
Perhaps a driving metaphor will work for both Germans and Californians, who love their cars. If you drive away from the light, you cannot see the dirt on the windshield. Only when you drive towards the light is it very obvious that you have accumulated a lot of dirt on your glass.
At this point in a person’s life, everyone must determine for himself. It may be earlier for some; later for others. For some, it may never happen. Fortunately, I was brought up Catholic. By the grace of my parents, I was baptized into the One, Holy, Roman Catholic Church.
When the time came where I could no longer live under this burden of guilt, I had to put my whole conduct in question.
REGINA | 140