Wholeness through emptiness

***So here is my disclaimer... I have decided that if I try and make this grammatically perfect, then I may not get out everything I want to say, so forgive me if this doesn't fit MLA guidelines!!


Since the beginning of civilization, humankind has felt something missing in their soul, so they have searched for and created gods. The ancient Egyptians had their gods, the Babylonians had their gods, the Greeks had their gods, the Mayans, The Incas, and so on and so forth... Every civilization has been searching for God to make their life complete, to make their life whole... in short, they were looking for shalom, inner-peace.

The problem is, none of these civilizations found the true God, which brings wholeness. Their gods died following the end of their respective empires. It's important to realize this, so that we can truly understand what God says in the book of Revelation.

Revelation 1:8"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."

So God decided to come down to earth, and introduce himself in the body of Christ Jesus; this is the miracle of the Christmas story... Christmas is not about trees and mangers, but that God would come to earth and reveal himself to humankind, and then redeem them for their sins. So Jesus went around performing miracles and teaching thise who followed him how to live as a child of God, a child of God which knows wholeness and shalom because they now have a relationship with the true God. Then Jesus completes his mission by dying for the sins of humanity.

Having this wholeness is truly what makes one's life complete, not cars, houses, jobs, money or relationships. This is apparent here in New Orleans... the people which know Jesus, know peace. As people who are not going through a catastrophe. we can learn from these people. These people have truly lost every earthly posession... yet they are whole because it has helped them to realize that fulfillment and wholeness comes through Christ. Is it possible that it is easier to understand this when we are stripped to absolutely nothing? Is it crazy think that when all one has is God, that only then one can truly understand to trust God? I don't know if these two statements are true, but I see faith here that is all to often lacking at churches where there is no disaster. I think that as a child of God, who has been so blessed to never be put through a hurricane or any other disaster which leaves one worrying what am I going to eat tomorrow? where am I going to sleep tonight? what am I going to wear? will I ever find work? I can learn to put all my trust in God, so that I can be made whole... and can learn to give my stresses and worries to God... because those earthly things are not what gives me shalom, and not what makes me the person God created me to be. What can I as a student learn from this course? It's simple and something I have known all along, to trust in God and put my hope in Him.. it's not easy, the world wants to pull my hope away from God, but it's the only way to be made whole.

I hugged Halldor today!