God has prepared an inheritance for us and we are waiting for that day when we will fully come into it. Prophets in ancient times spoke of the salvation that we experience in Jesus Christ. We are living each day filled with hope, looking for the fulfillment of all that God has had planned since the very beginning. Belonging to Jesus for eternity is supposed to transform how we live right now.
Jean-Paul Sartre gives his own vision of hell in a play called No Exit. The “moral” of the play is the hopelessly amoral conclusion: “You are – your life, and nothing else.” There is no forgiveness and no redemption. No greater good, no higher purpose. You live, you laugh, you suffer and you die. And that’s it.
We’ve all had the rewarding and instructive experience of feeling like we don’t fit in. If we are in a given place just for fun, then perhaps it’s no big deal. We leave and move on to a different situation. On a deeper level, however, not belonging can raise some valid questions.
We may ignore prayer because it does not seem effective. Prayer is somewhat humiliating, because it reminds us that we are powerless, weak and needy before God. Jesus said it clearly when he said, “without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) Prayer is powerful because God is powerful and God invites us to pray.
Central Reflections 