"After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure."
– Albus Dumbledore
My mind has been full of various thoughts and ideas and I have decided to mold them into one great amalgamation. Please bear with me as my transitions may not be the best but it is my hope that it will all make sense in the end!
My great-grandmother passed away on Sunday. She was 92. My family gathered in Grand Rapids on Tuesday and Wednesday to reminisce about her life and the impact she had in ours. She was always so positive and put her family first. She was quick with a kind word and always seemed like she genuinely cared. She had accepted the free gift of salvation and is now in heaven, enjoying the splendor of God's everlasting kingdom. This is incredible! This is a time for celebration and joy! She lived her life on Earth, obeying God's commands and path for her life, and has been rewarded, not a moment too soon, with eternal life. Death IS a great adventure, and GG was ready for it. In fact, she had been ready ever since the day she asked for Christ to enter her life and lead her way. Actually, I'm ready for death, as is my mother. This is not to say that we would look for an end to earthly life, but it must mean that God's plan for us on earth is done. We are living on His time, and when He calls us home, it should be with giddiness and exultations and singing that we join Him. GG was called home, and I couldn't be happier for her.
"Fanaticism: wildly excessive or irrational devotion, dedication, or enthusiasm."
– Webster's Dictionary
I started a talk the other day about religious fanaticism, but unfortunately neither I nor my discussion partner were able to come to any solid conclusion. As such, I began thinking and reflecting on my own about what constitutes "fanaticism" and whether it's really a bad thing. I guess it all depends on perspective. If I'm an agnostic walking down the street and I stumble upon a group of Christians spreading God's message through pamphlets and discussion, I would think that they are fanatics. If I'm a regular attender of Catholic mass and a Jehovah's Witness comes to my door, I might think he/she is a fanatic. If I'm a Buddhist and Brigham Young himself walked up and introduced himself and his religion, I would likely think he's a fanatic. The point is this – a fanatic is a different thing to everyone. So when someone I know implies that speaking in tongues and Christian fundamentalism is fanatical, I have to be able to respect that opinion. In all honesty, I've never spoken in tongues or witnessed it, but, from my understanding, it's the Holy Spirit moving through humans. It's happened in Biblical times, and it's happening right now. How can the Holy Spirit's presence be considered fanatical? Again, it all depends on the perspective. Until it can be experienced, it's going to appear to be irrational devotion or enthusiasm.
Ok, then what is fanaticism, in the real world? I would say that a fanatic is one that preaches down to others. This is the individual who claims that he/she is going to heaven because of all the great things they've done or the intense connection they have with God, and then calling out others who don't seem as pure in his/her eyes and damning them to Hell. It is neither the responsibility nor the right for a mortal sinner to tell anybody else their eternal destiny. The inner workings of a heart are known only by God, and He is the only judge. Each one of us is fallible, but the infallible one, Jesus Christ, has given His life for us…all of us! He didn't give it to His "select" followers. It's a free gift for everyone! Accepting that gift and then telling others the Good News is not fanaticism, as long as we know that we are all equals – we're all sinners! Tongues and open weeping is merely a way for the Holy Spirit to assert its dominance among the nations. It's nothing to be fearful of – it should be an honor serve the Lord in this way!
"I used to be in meatpacking. Lips and hooves."
– Noah Vanderhoff, Wayne's World
It sounds pretty disgusting, but hear me out for a second…isn't this what we're all supposed to be doing? Using our lips and hooves, if you will? We are God's sheep, as Psalm 23 reminds us: "The Lord is [our] shepherd, I shall not want." He has led us to His choice pasture (earth) to graze (go about and win souls for Him) so that His flock can grow. He has given us "hooves" so that we can walk around His Creation reaching men and women for God. Also, He has given us lips so that we can proclaim His Holy Name. I know it's a pretty extreme analogy, but that line just hit me. I mean, I've seen Wayne's World loads of times, but I've never really paid attention to that line before. Now, it can be used to explain one of God's essential promises. If we use our lips and hooves, we shouldn't be afraid of death. Indeed, God commanded us to be on the offensive for Him, spreading His Good News throughout the nations. It's not fanaticism…it's faith, and we needn't be afraid to fulfill our calling. GG fulfilled hers, and it's my prayer that I can fulfill mine.
I'm not sure if I answered any questions. In fact, I may have just raised more. But, if you have any, I can do my best and approach them using God's Word as a bastion of understanding and wisdom. Until then, I pray that we can use our LIPS and HOOVES to reach God's salvation-craving populace with whatever tools He decides to give each of us.
