The Person Survives

Someone who’s never seen the sunset might think that the Sun is gone forever when she sees it set for the first time. But a small bit after, she sees the sunrise. She knows that when the Sun disappears, it’s still there. And someone who’s never experienced autumn might think that the trees are dying. When the winter comes, she then thinks that the trees are all dead. But a small bit after, she experiences the spring. And when the spring comes, she knows that the trees weren’t gone. So when she sees the body die, won’t she understand that the person is still there? A small bit after, that person will have a sunrise and a spring.

She takes off her clothes to shower. Wouldn’t it be odd if she believed that she could never put her clothes back on? So when we lose this current body, do you find it hard to believe that we can’t put on another form?

And when someone goes to sleep, and their body stops moving, should we think that the person is gone? You shake them and yell at them, but they’re in a deep sleep. They don’t wake up. Is someone who’s in a deep sleep gone forever?

And sometimes someone sleeps for a really long time. They enter into a coma. Maybe someone thinks that the person is no longer there. But after decades of being asleep, there are people who wake up. Even if they can’t respond or move, they’re still there. So would you think that it’s weird that those who’ve died are still there, even if they can’t respond or move?

Rather, why would you believe that a person is gone just because their body stopped moving? What reason would you ever have for believing that? Things might change their form: food becomes waste. Trees become tables. A sperm and an egg become a baby, and then an adult. Things might change their form, but they don’t just disappear.

To what end?

So do you think you can escape cause and effect? When you love, you start to surround yourself with love. And when you hate, you start to surround yourself with hate. In this life, you start to bring things to you, and to push other things away. These are the choices that you make. And every choice pushes you in a certain direction, and gives you a certain momentum. Whether you’re asleep, or you’re awake, your life is headed in a certain direction. Who you are is mirrored by your surroundings. Slowly, you create the world around you. Do you think that you’ll stop doing this, just because your body stopped moving?

So know that the person who chooses a beautiful heart will turn everything into something beautiful. No matter how ugly the situation, they push to make it more beautiful. They act with love, and kindness, and understanding, and slowly they begin to be surrounded by love, and kindness, and understanding. Whoever pushes for the Kingdom of God will get closer and closer to it, in this body and the next. This is Heaven.

And the person who chooses an ugly heart will turn everything into something ugly. No matter how beautiful the situation, they push to make it more ugly. They act with hatred, and greed, and ignorance, and slowly they begin to be surrounded by hatred, and greed, and ignorance. Whoever pushes to be outside the Kingdom of God will get farther and farther from it, in this body and the next. This is Hell.

The person who lights fires everywhere, soon they will be burned by it. And the person who plants good things in all places, soon they will be surrounded by a garden of beauty. God is calling you to his garden, so will you come?