St. Augustine's restless heart longed to be with God.
It occurs to me that this longing is within all our hearts and that we spend a good part of our lives feeling the tug without understanding where it comes from or directs us to. Hence the melancholy mystery of life, sometimes subdued in sadness, other times frenzied by bitterness, or confused by anger and frustration, and yet, quite often surprised and puzzled by an inexplicable joy ...a momentary flash of God's goodness ...a stranger's kind act...a beautiful sunset or haunting melody...a realization that regardless of our circumstances life is indeed a gift to be made the most of.
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Is a 'fond' recollection of a past event/person-an experience that wasn't necessarily happy at the time but which is remembered 'fondly'-is that fond recollection (the illusion of fondness if you will) actually the anticipation of an unfulfilled desire which will be realized in eternity?
Have you ever wondered whatever happened to all the people you have ever come into contact with? Childhood friends and school mates? Former co-workers and neighbors? What part did they play in our destiny? What part did we play in theirs? The things that happen to us and others, some expected and others totally out of the blue...is there a rhyme and reason to it all?
Augustine's restless longing was fueled by the mystery of life and the need for answers. This is the way of the world - God's great creation. There are hints of the answers all around us, hints of of God's goodness, some mentioned above, and many more examples that could be cited. The thing they have in common is this: they are short lived. Just when we think we have captured the genie in the bottle, it is gone.
So the mystery continues and the longing envelopes us and the only possible answer lies beyond the grave in eternity.
Ironically, with all that life promises us, it is death that serves as the passport for where we need to go to find the answers which will still the restless longing.
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Hieronymus Bosch of the Middle Ages pictured a soul's Ascent into Heavenly Paradise thus:
Have you ever wondered whatever happened to all the people you have ever come into contact with? Childhood friends and school mates? Former co-workers and neighbors? What part did they play in our destiny? What part did we play in theirs? The things that happen to us and others, some expected and others totally out of the blue...is there a rhyme and reason to it all?
Augustine's restless longing was fueled by the mystery of life and the need for answers. This is the way of the world - God's great creation. There are hints of the answers all around us, hints of of God's goodness, some mentioned above, and many more examples that could be cited. The thing they have in common is this: they are short lived. Just when we think we have captured the genie in the bottle, it is gone.
So the mystery continues and the longing envelopes us and the only possible answer lies beyond the grave in eternity.
Ironically, with all that life promises us, it is death that serves as the passport for where we need to go to find the answers which will still the restless longing.
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Hieronymus Bosch of the Middle Ages pictured a soul's Ascent into Heavenly Paradise thus:
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