Affirmation

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An Affirmation of Faith

Before the beginning, our creator was. Nothing became something, and time started ticking. That singular moment resonates in the spin of galaxies, the wobble of planets, and the bonding of atoms.

Without the Creator’s intimate presence, “something” once more becomes “nothing.” He resides within every part of the creation. No distance separates you from him. The Creator doesn’t just know the number of hairs on your head as a triviality. Instead, he is a part of the molecular makeup of each strand. He is in us, we are in him.

And yet, the creation is not the Creator. Venerate the Creator above all else. This is the first commandment recorded by Moses. No thing is worthy. No one is greater. All fall short before his constancy. Mute statues crumble to dust. People cannot be trusted. Religious doctrines intertwine with cultures establishing rifts between believers. Governments bloat and die. Science is bound by current prejudices. Even the very stars lose the battle with time. Only he remains. And he remains a part of it all.

Life is a paradox. We are born to die. In-between we must deal with love and hate, right and wrong, truth and lies. Every choice has pros and cons. Even facts come packaged in propaganda.

The ultimate paradox is God. His presence breathes life, but His visage is certain death. He is the definitive good, but within His creation is the ultimate evil. He knows all but becomes frustrated with us for being dense. He can heal all ills but allows suffering to continue. He wishes us to pray but seldom talks directly to us. He defends truth and love, but allows lies and hatred to be preached in his name.

Jesus was the Creator in human skin; the only case where the creation was the Creator. Still, the creation prayed to the Creator. The paradox: the vastness of everything confined in a finite animal with a complete set of human emotions and fears. He knew the plan yet felt terrified, betrayed, and forsaken. – How human. – Still, he played his role, resolute. – How divine.

Why did people follow Jesus? Grace. He told them God loved them. No one else did. The Creator of the universe loved them despite their social station and inability to do right. The Great I Am loved them.

Humans are special to the Creator. But why? We are simply mammals living on a small planet circling an average star in an immense universe. Constant conflict characterizes our species. Distrust, to the point of paranoia, drives our decisions. Filth stinks in our wake as we multiply across the land. Why would the Creator select us over any other part of the creation? Why would the Creator of everything choose to become one of us?

Because, like him, we have a mind to choose. We are the only thing (we know of) made in the image of God, with the ability to dream and create a new future. The rest of creation follows the Creator’s ordained commands. Minerals grow then erode to grow again. Liquids flow downhill and freeze into solids. Plants and animals live, multiply, then die. None consider an alternative course. Except us.

All the other commandments recorded by Moses, all the laws and rules that could not be kept, Jesus lumped together in, “love your brother as yourself.” Our choice to do good; those rare unselfish moments when we do more than simply follow direction. We must care about a person’s wellbeing, even if that person is offensive and our enemy. – Kindness when contempt is expected. A smile to share hope. A pair of gloves on a cold day. – In a flash, we draw closer to the Creator, communing with His spirit. Each heart inspired courtesy transcends death. They precede us to the Judgment Day, when we will become one with the Creator as his perfect bride.

If God wanted pets, he would have nuked us long ago and started over.

Instead:

The Father keeps you. The Son waits for you. The Spirit encourages you.

The Creator loves you.

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