Posted by nicolas on September 3, 2004, at 20:08:59
In reply to Re: THE bible?-need imput plse-oops, posted by crazychickuk on September 3, 2004, at 9:20:59
Hello,
There are many religions in the world. I am astonished again and again at how often and intimately the mystics, regardless of exoteric dogma, find the same heart, the same esoteric experience of bliss in prayer. Surely a direct encounter with God is worth more than a strange, savage vision of the end of days.
Millenarianism, the idea that some future Judgement day is swift approaching, is a very old conceptual sensibility, at least as old as Zoroastrianism. Christ does speak of Judgement Day but don't allow yourself to be crippled by fear ... Christians ought to work to establish a communion between heaven and earth Now.
In fact, Mark 13 reads: And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled for such things must needs be, but the end shall not be yet.
The Apostle Paul, writing in the first century, believed that Christ's resurection was the first fruit; in otherwords, that the end of the world was already upon them. And this was in the first century! Two thousand years has taught us that the world sustains, so maybe we should rethink Christ's teachings and see how they apply to this very moment rather than to the future.
Apocalypse is a visionary experience.
But let me end this post with a quote from the book of Thomas, that may help you re-imagine 'the end of the world':
His disciples said to him, "When will the kingdom come?"
<Jesus said,> "It will not come by waiting for it. It will not be a matter of saying 'here it is' or 'there it is.' Rather, the kingdom of the father is spread out upon the earth and men do not see it.'"
poster:nicolas
thread:385918
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faith/20040729/msgs/386181.html