Sunday, September 28, 2008

A Simple Reminder...

Let me tell you a bit about me...

I'm English...Yes I know that because I stated that fact, you're all probably rushing to my home with pitch-forks and petrol bombs...OK, maybe not. The worst I can expect from someone is to receive a nasty comment on this post...or to have my finger tips cut off.

Why did I say this? I've lived in Ireland for the majority of my life (and yet I still consider myself a true Brit) but when we first moved over here, it wasn't easy. We moved into a run down house with nothing. Over the coming years, this would eventually be turned around by the hard work of my Dad. But at first we lived in a caravan...

Yes its hard to imagine that I lived in a tiny space, with a toilet leading directly off of the kitchen, but I did. However, we couldn't get any water and electricity. We were kinda stuck, and me being the tender age of 3, I wanted to watch the Teletubies...Yes its true, I used to watch those giants balls of red, green, blue, and yellow fluff. We were desperate. Luckily, our next door neighbours were kinda enough to let us use their water and electricity. And it was through that act, that I came to know one of my best friends...

Eric is Eric. I was going to say that he's cool, and while that is true to a certain extent, it doesn't some him up enough. He is who he is. Day after day, we would laze around, playing video games, listening to music...and that's pretty much all we did. But understand that I live about 4 miles from Navan, and even further from Dublin. In essence, at times, he became a brother to me.

Before I go on, I want to tell a tiny story about how British I consider(ed) myself to be. Eric was walking me home (I was still 4 or 5 at the time) and a big Gaelic match was going to be played...
Eric: So Philip, who do you want to win? Meath or Dublin?
Philip:...hmm...
Eric: Well?
Philip: LONDON!!!

Yes it is true, I wanted London to win in that game...Let the sneering mocks begin.

He's 21/22 at this stage, so he was just about to finish college. It was no surprise to me, that he said he was going to move. To where, it didn't really matter...Then I heard he was moving over 1000 miles away. Then it matter.

Of course I would stay in contact with him. But it was coming up to summer, a time where I would normally be bored off my ass. The usual way I would relieve that boredom, was to get Eric over. Unfortunately, with the current state of the economy, a cheap flight to and from Germany wasn't in the agenda.

But what was worse was the fact that he didn't know when he'd be coming home. He said it could be 3 months...or it could be a year. At the time, I was happy for him, and so I didn't really feel any sadness. But looking back now, maybe I should've cried a little. After all, I had never shared my faith with him properly. What if something was to happen when he was over there? In essence, I should've felt sad, because if something were to happen, then some of the onus would be on me as to where he would end up. Of course, the onus is still on me partially, because I have been his friend all my life. I think its the least I can do.

3 months passed without him. Luckily enough, my summer was quite packed, so there wasn't much time when I was free, what with Teenstreet and all that. When I came back from Teenstreet, that's when I realised how much Eric means to me. And low and behold, yesterday, he arrived safely back home, greeted by his ever faithful (and also incredibly annoying) dog.

3 months passed before he returned...3 days passed before the world was shown true love.

I'm not trying to compare Eric to Jesus. That's just got blaspheme written all over it. Rather, the period of time in which they both returned was relative to the other.

OK this is an obscure topic, but really I was just thinking of this a little while ago. I can't even begin to imagine to sadness and pain and grief when Christ died on the cross. I must confess that I have never watch "The Passion of The Christ" but now I think that I must see it. From what I've seen, if its even 1/10000000000000000000 of what the actual crucifixion was like, then I will be crying from here to next August.

But that wasn't the end of the story, because while Christ did die, for the sins off all humankind, just as Eric returned, so did Christ. On the 3rd day he rose again, to show the world his true and perfect love. I can't even begin to describe the happiness everyone must have felt the day they saw him.

Writing this now, I'm in a bit of a twilight zone. Its only been 12 hours, but something occurred which has really challenged my faith. The quote that I left at the end of yesterday's post has spoken to the deepest part of me. I know God. I believe that he exists, and that He created everything around me. I believe in Jesus, that He is the Son of God, and that He gave his life for me. And I believe that He loves me, which is the hardest thing for me to accept. The fact that God would love me so much that he would send his own Son to die for me is the most absurd thing I've ever come across. How could God ever love a monster such as me?

And yet I know that fact is true, because I've seen that love work throughout my life. Maybe that's why I posted my Teenstreet report. The fact that God did all that is a sign that He hasn't forgotten me. The fact that because He died for me, means that there must be a greater reason than just living. Who would just up and give their life for us? As I write this, the dilemma is as follows; I've accepted the fact that he loves me, but do I believe it? Or do I believe that I am beyond his touch, and his saving grace? Only time will tell, and having written this, I can already feel something pulling at my very depths. The fact is that quote is true. We can never be clean. In trying to do so, we just become dirtier. But I am talking about being clean for the sake of being clean. Now we can love God because He loves us, and it is through that loving relationship that I believe we can be whole. But we must not want to be whole. We must want to love God, and that's it. Nothing more, nothing less.

Isn't funny, how God reminds us of the simplest, and truest things, in the most random of places. We need to let him be the Nexus in out lives.

2 comments:

Phiasmir said...

Cool to hear you've got such a great friend in your life, it can be really scary to share your faith with people you look up to!
Juuuuust a little blasphemous bear. Grr! *rawr*

Anonymous said...

Like the tie in :L

happy that Eric is back for you tho!