Monday, July 6, 2020
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Testimony Within
If we accept human testimony, the testimony of God is surely greater. Now the testimony of God is this, that he has testified on behalf of his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony within himself . . . And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever possesses the Son has life; whoever does not possess the Son does not have life.
Although John describes God’s in-dwelling in an abstract manner, he does not mean to say that God is an idea. On the contrary, the presence of Christ in each of us is very real. The Spirit abides and consoles while Jesus teaches and heals, and God protects and guides. All three persons of the Trinity are constantly present to and in us.
God says: I understand that the idea of eternal life is both exhilarating and frightening but you need not fear. It is a real as the pain you feel when you suffer and as real as the joy you feel when you celebrate. Yet, my love is more than emotion or thought. My love is substantial. It cures. It sustains. It converts and transforms. It is constant and deep. It is authentic and reliable. My love is worthy of your trust. My love is worthy of your love in return.
When we find that we insist on our own interpretation of scripture or we split hairs and parse words for explicit and implicit meaning . . . we have strayed from the love John explains to us. When we rely on God’s goodness and the truth of John’s testimony . . . we acknowledge the gift of God’s testimony within each of us.
To reflect on how we might better comprehend God’s love for us, enter the word witness into the blog search bar and explore.
Search for a labyrinth near you and consider this form of prayer. It may lead you to a meaningful conversation with God Within You.
The images above shows a labyrinth, a centuries old device for contemplative or meditative prayer. https://www.wildspring.com/labyrinth.htm
To learn how to use a labyrinth while praying, go to: http://www.emu.edu/seminary/labyrinth or https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/labyrinth-chartres-cathedral
For information on ancient references to God Within, visit: https://quantumstones.com/embracing-the-god-within-us/
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