There are things that are hard to reason. Each human thinks in a specific way, but almost all humans assume a line of thinking that falls within the same ambit, especially when it concerns controversial matters that appeal to emotions other than intellect. This is why the creation story will continue to appeal to most believers rather than bog their minds. We don’t fully understand what took place in the beginning, do we? The few details we have from Genesis 1 to 3, are simple fragments of a colossal creation story that won’t fit adequately in a book or a TV serial if all were to be told as they were entirely.
Thus the strong hints recorded by Moses at the beginning of creation have left us grappling with the truth, fitting the pieces together, and ultimately making up our minds on what to believe. The way of religion has led more than a quarter of the human race to choose to identify and adopt, emphatically, that: in the beginning, God created the Heaven and the Earth; and all the creatures therein, including man, who God created in His image; who later fell from Grace, and was subsequently sent as a punishment from the Garden of Eden.
The story progressed further into the New Testament which proclaims the triumph of God’s Love for humans, in spite of his many evils, when He sent His one and only Son to die for humans and reclaim them, who believe, into His celestial abode, as joint-heirs in/with Christ. That’s the entire framework as we know it. Is this any closer to the truth? Yes, I believe it is; and I choose to believe this Truth, which is most sensible to my mind and endearing to my heart, than any other religious worldview, evolution story, or any other postulated dogma. So what am I driving at exactly?
While there is nothing exactly wrong with making emotive endearments about Christ’s love for us, which is indubitable (no one dies for anyone without a fond attachment), don’t you sometimes think God has a greater agenda beyond making humans feeling lovey-dovey and wishy-washy about the redeeming love of Christ for humans? The redemption story is exactly my point. Is it enough to simply conclude that Christ, the Son of God, came in human flesh, and suffered unimaginable anguish in His death for humans, just so a lost relationship with divinity can be rekindled? Was that enough for Him to have subjected His Divine Self to the death of the cross? Why did Christ come to redeem us? What exactly is He redeeming us from? An impending doom of untold proportions?
Also Read: THE EPIC STORY OF YESH: A TRUE LIFE FAIRYTALE
Personally, I’ve always been careful in making a hasty conclusion about Hell. To be honest, and I frankly didn’t intend to let these private thoughts out yet at this time, if all I’ve read and heard about Hell is true, I sincerely wish in my heart that no human soul finds its place there. I couldn’t imagine anyone, irrespective of disbelief, misbelief, or sinfulness, landing in that vile place as a final destination. I’ve tried countless times to justify that a God so loving wouldn’t be so unforgiving to land such eternal infliction on any soul, regardless.
Yet, Christ never tired of warning humans of damnation in the hereafter. In fact, it is oft-stated that He spoke more about Hell than He spoke about Heaven. If Hell is real, then Christ laying down His Life to redeem humans from Hell, and into His Grace, makes a lot more sense to me than a heart-warming love story, sweet as that is too.
After all is said and done, and people find themselves in Hell (which I dearly wish against), the warning signal – Christ, the Redeemer, who laid down his life so that we may find and partake in the grace of His mercy – wears a justifiable cause. Didn’t God, through Noah, warn the people of impending doom?
If there’s anything I can tell you decidedly about the God-personality, it is this: God is love and loving – but can be very ruthless too. He feels for humans, but he has no human feelings. While I yet dread the thoughts of the realness of a hell place and still hope and pray that there’s a considerably lesser price unrepentant sinners have to pay, I’m afraid that Hell, just like Heaven, is indeed real.
And here is what I can make of the entire Creation-Redemption story: “We didn’t do it because of you, we did it for you.” I suppose that is what God is saying in effect. He is helping us out, not because we are so deserving of such Grace, but because it had to be done; there has to be a rescue. For our sake.
07-09-2020.
Light-bearer.
Excerpt From
Thoughts In Traffic
Aramide Salako
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