Time and Eternity

As I was coming home from the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, my son John and I were discussing time and eternity. During our discussion he made the point that because there is no time in eternity that at the moment of death our time for making any changes runs out.

Now you may think, well that's obvious, but actually this really struck something within me. Sometimes I'll hear a word and suddenly the light inside will go on. I suddenly realized the importance of making good and right choices in this life at all times. especially the choice to believe in God.

During my first trip after 20 years to Mt. Tabor, I had an experience similar to this, but more intense. I remember standing in the church during one of the services and suddenly realized that although I was in a state of terrible sins, the one that was the worst, was that I had stopped believing in God. It just hit me so intensely that I started to cry. It was true and I could not deny it. The feeling was one of sincere remorse and a little bit of panic. It was then that I knew that I was in serious need of reconciliation with God.

I think about my life before that time, and what might have happened if I would have died in my sins and faced this realization in eternity. There would have been no time left to change my mind. I would have stood before God and known that I had been wrong but with no time left to change my life. To me, this is a terrifying thought and it should be. We are not here to do whatever pleases our senses. Our senses will be gone with our body at death, then what will we have left? Only the soul and how will that look before the judgment seat of Christ? That will depend on the choices we've made in the here and now.

I often hear that many people want to be "spiritual" but not "religious." So to these people I say the following. To be "religious" means "accountability." But to be "spiritual" or "one with the universe" or whatever the trend happens to be, does not require accountability. And without accountability human nature runs wild. There are some, but very few, who can do what is right without having to be accountable to someone. Accountablity is necessary in order to control our human nature. Without it, we are doomed to a disasterous life here and in eternity.

Be not deceived. There is a judgment. And we will all face it. But if we choose to believe in Christ who has shown us the way to God, whom He calls Father, we can be assured that we will not be alone and will encounter a merciful God who will welcome us into his Kingdom.