D
DBT
Guest
Ok, maybe this is just the sleepless ramblings of a man wrestling with spiritual thoughts that come back to haunt him from time to time . . .
There have periods in my life when I’ve known deep peace and tranquility in my soul. These times are invariably when I walk by faith, trusting in the Lord and all he has revealed to us. Other times, especially when there is some level of uncertainty in my life, trust seems to give way to “What-Ifs.” What begins with some worldly doubt (what if I lose this account, my son doesn’t make the team etc) sometimes leads to a sleepless night over the big one.
The big “what-if” for me has to do with death, heaven, time and eternity. A few years ago I read an article (long ago lost) by a neurosurgeon describing his belief based on his dealings with patients who had near death experiences. I don’t think he was a Christian . . . more likely he was an atheist or agnostic.
His basic arguement was this: death is a time of intense activity within the brain. As the body dies, neurons fire rapidly and indiscriminately creating all sorts of “sensations” that we, as Christians, would think of as God and heaven. These sensations include all the things you hear about near death experiences in the popular press: life passing before your eyes, walking into the light, the feeling of the soul leaving the body, a deep sense of peace and joy . . . the beatific vision.
All of this to him takes place in just a few fleeting moments . . . the result of a body already in decay. Then, just like that, it’s over. Brain activity stops . . . the sensations cease . . . game over. Heaven is just a figment of our imagination, like your PC spitting out garbage as its hard drive fails.
I know that time is just a human construct which God utterly transcends. I also know theolgians have grappled with the concept of time in many ways. Some have speculated that purgatory, for all we know, might be instantaneous.
And I also know that doubts are a natural part of our faith journey. At times like this I think of St. Therese of Liseaux who had great doubts as death approached . . . perhaps unto the very existence of God.
And that’s the hardest part for me. I don’t doubt the existence of God. I’ve seen his work in my life and I “know” in some indescribable way His presence. When I look at the transformation that has occurred in my life, there can be no other logical explanation to me but God.
Then why on earth would I be up all night worring about what this doctor thinks in the light of what I’ve come to “know” from my own experience?
There have periods in my life when I’ve known deep peace and tranquility in my soul. These times are invariably when I walk by faith, trusting in the Lord and all he has revealed to us. Other times, especially when there is some level of uncertainty in my life, trust seems to give way to “What-Ifs.” What begins with some worldly doubt (what if I lose this account, my son doesn’t make the team etc) sometimes leads to a sleepless night over the big one.
The big “what-if” for me has to do with death, heaven, time and eternity. A few years ago I read an article (long ago lost) by a neurosurgeon describing his belief based on his dealings with patients who had near death experiences. I don’t think he was a Christian . . . more likely he was an atheist or agnostic.
His basic arguement was this: death is a time of intense activity within the brain. As the body dies, neurons fire rapidly and indiscriminately creating all sorts of “sensations” that we, as Christians, would think of as God and heaven. These sensations include all the things you hear about near death experiences in the popular press: life passing before your eyes, walking into the light, the feeling of the soul leaving the body, a deep sense of peace and joy . . . the beatific vision.
All of this to him takes place in just a few fleeting moments . . . the result of a body already in decay. Then, just like that, it’s over. Brain activity stops . . . the sensations cease . . . game over. Heaven is just a figment of our imagination, like your PC spitting out garbage as its hard drive fails.
I know that time is just a human construct which God utterly transcends. I also know theolgians have grappled with the concept of time in many ways. Some have speculated that purgatory, for all we know, might be instantaneous.
And I also know that doubts are a natural part of our faith journey. At times like this I think of St. Therese of Liseaux who had great doubts as death approached . . . perhaps unto the very existence of God.
And that’s the hardest part for me. I don’t doubt the existence of God. I’ve seen his work in my life and I “know” in some indescribable way His presence. When I look at the transformation that has occurred in my life, there can be no other logical explanation to me but God.
Then why on earth would I be up all night worring about what this doctor thinks in the light of what I’ve come to “know” from my own experience?
Jesus, I surrender. 
