I’m back home! What a journey it’s been! I’ve got two more blogs that I want to share since I didn’t get around to posting much last month in Ecuador. This one is partially inspired by a good friend who I met last month although I’ve had the intention to write on this topic since last Spring. The brother who I recently met told me that he has been greatly inspired by the writings of Eckhart Tolle. I was quite familiar with Tolle’s teachings but had never taken the time to actually read “The Power of Now.” I made a deal with him that I would read Tolle’s book if he was willing to read the four gospels. He agreed and we exchanged texts. I have to admit that I was inspired by some of Eckhart’s writing. However, throughout the book, he references Jesus a few times and it’s so incredibly frustrating to read his misperceived thoughts about Christ and especially the return of Christ. I wish he just never spoke about Jesus since then I would feel comfortable sharing his writings with other Christians. Tolle’s thoughts about Jesus are so misleading that it’s difficult for me to recommend the book to any believer without some concern that it could be a theological “stumbling block.” Many people in the New Age and secular world have read “The Power of Now,” and I’ve encountered many people in my travels talking about the importance of being in the moment and not concerning oneself with the afterlife. I agree it’s beneficial to remain present and mindful but spoiler alert: you are going to die. This present moment that we’re immersed in will eventually terminate and then where will we be? I personally love reflecting on Heaven while being grounded in this present reality. I was thinking the other day about how exciting it’ll be to snowboard in Heaven without any risk of injury or to morph into the form of a fish for a few hours and explore an empyreal version of the coral reef without any danger of being harmed or eaten. I also don’t think there’ll be any stairs to walk down in Heaven but solely slides and zip lines. I used to think it was pointless to accumulate knowledge and learn skills when I had a reincarnation mindset before following Jesus because, after all, I was simply going to die and forget everything before being reborn or, if not reincarnated, merged into a state of thoughtless bliss in the spiritual realms. Now, however, I’m obsessed with learning and have even been practicing the piano since I know I’m going to live eternally and that everything I cultivate now will accompany me into Paradise. I feel that in the course of eternity, I’ll probably be able to learn every instrument. Anyhow, that’s a slight tangent, but the key thing I want to convey is that a tad bit of reflection on where we’re going after this life is crucial since this life on Earth and this present moment are temporary. I see a lot of New Age spiritual teachings, such as the writings of Eckhart Tolle, that try to downplay the importance of any spiritual preparation for the future. Those teachings say that all problems can be resolved if one is merely present and Tolle even goes as far as to say that Jesus taught the kingdom of Heaven is solely within. Anyone who has read the Bible knows that Christ described heaven as being within as well as an actual external location in a spiritual dimension. Being in the “now” is crucial to experiencing the joys of life as well as a deep connection with God and creation, but let us not forget that our time here is brief. There is more to life than only appreciating the present. Let us remember to help those in need and share Jesus’ message of forgiveness and salvation with others since everyone’s experience of the “now” in these human bodies will ultimately end. Nonetheless, at the same time, let us rejoice in this present moment without fear or concerns for the future as Christ taught us: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:34) Additionally, on an exuberant note, let us remember Psalm 118:24: “This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.” Wishing all of you a beautiful now and a glorious, eventual hereafter!
