God's Aquarium

[BrunoMaria]

A dear friend of mine wrote kind of jokingly: "We are in God’s aquarium " and he continued:

In a sense, we are in God’s aquarium, as He watches and feeds us, hoping that we will remain with Him forever. But some of us, atheists and agnostics, cannot see past the glass to the Master. Those who do not look past the glass see only their own reflection, and therefore, think that they are the greatest thing existing.<

That’s exactly what I often wrote in diverse forums. Truly a good metaphor; same as the blind cave-fish who doesn’t believe the sun exists. Take my aquarium: These little aquarium-fish are convinced; “there is nothing else but this Aquarium with it’s plants and fresh-water”. Same to atheist’s conviction; there is nothing else but what we see.
These fish take it for normal, that every day food appears. It’s simply there as a natural law.
These disbelievers think that crop grows as natural-law.
Amazing they think so, for humans can’t create a single blade of grass.
If not billions of believers would pray every day Matthew’s 6:11 “Give us today our daily bread” - we would not have it!
And if not every second around the world countless prayers would ascent – God had wiped away this world long ago; without an eternal life in His kingdom thereafter. So - truly the world still exists, because of these believers’ continuous prayers and the Holy Masses going on day and night arounf the world. This wellbeing – if not hindered by people who serve Satan, is solely owed to the continuous Holy Masses around the world and the continuous prayers going on at every breath we take, around the world.

These fish in the aquarium do not believe that there is anything nor anyone outside that glass. Atheists don’t either, though both depend at every breath they take on Him who keeps them.

Now, believers know all that. The question rather is: How do we tell the reality of God to disbelievers? Those who are not allowed to comprehend. Not allowed is hard for us to understand. Some are not allowed to comprehend?! - Yes, according to Isaiah 6,10: Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. But it was all repeated in Mt. 13.14 ,15 ·Mk. 4.12 ·Lk. 8.10 ·Joh. 12.40 ·Acts 28.26 ,27
I often found this a terrible problem, for – with these People we might talk as much as we like to – all in vain. But: WE ARE NOT TO JUDGE IF THESE ARE SELECTED OR NOT! On the other hand – why waste time and ruin nerves with stubborn who anyhow reject any belief…
The real drama however is; that in our time in schools and all later educations, our children are taught that there is nothing but the automatism of evolution. The whole creation a dead machinery?!
If however this most

Surely you too often experienced what’s described in Isaiah 6,9; that the GOOD NEWS in some actually lead to even more disbelief, stubbornness and hardness of heart. So after some trials we often preferred to let it be – which is terribly hurting.

With these fish in the aquarium or that blind cave-fish it’s neither here nor there – it simply doesn’t matter at all what they are convinced of. They live and finally fade away into nothing. Does this mean in consequence, that disbelieve makes disbelievers to “samples of no value” ? Well, since they are humans after all, they of course are eternal, but where will they spend this eternity ? What do we live for – if we don’t believe in God ?

OK now – for instance Buddhists don’t believe in God. Some of them indeed might live for others – totally selfless in charitable self-denial. But as St. James and the Four Gospel-writers as well as Christ Himself pointed out the importance of good works to make belief complete – good works without belief remains a fragmentary thing - and an insult to God who so much loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son for the forgiveness of our sins. Joh 3,16
All of us – disregarding if believers or not, live for our eternity. Compared to eternity, life here is but a split second. Anyone seeks for the sense in his life. Many even try to find themselves. OK – good, but all answers lay in God. He who denies God will never get any answer.

Yours
Bruno

 

[CHRISTINE77]

I like it.

Your aquarium sounds a lot like Plato’s Cave:

Plato has Socrates describe a gathering of people who have lived chained to the wall of a cave all of their lives, facing a blank wall. The people watch shadows projected on the wall by things passing in front of a fire behind them, and begin to designate names to these shadows. The shadows are as close as the prisoners get to viewing reality. He then explains how the philosopher is like a prisoner who is freed from the cave and comes to understand that the shadows on the wall do not make up reality at all, as he can perceive the true form of reality rather than the mere shadows seen by the prisoners.

The Allegory may be related to Plato’s Theory of Forms, according to which the “Forms” (or “Ideas”/“Archetypes”), and not the material world of change known to us through sensation, possess the highest and most fundamental kind of reality. Only knowledge of the Forms constitutes real knowledge. Socrates informs Glaucon that the most excellent must learn the greatest of all studies, which is to behold the Good. Those who have ascended to this highest level, however, must not remain there but must return to the cave and dwell with the prisoners, sharing in their labors and honors.

 

[BrunoMaria]

Thanks. I read this when I was young. In a way, yes – it touches the deeper sense of the Aquarium-metaphor. Though Plato and Sokrates’ philosophy is a pagan thought in rather dark colors and way off Jesus Christ’s Good News and revelation of God. Which many saw with their own eyes, others such as we, are taught by those who where filled by the Holy Spirit. Blessed is he, who adopts this teaching as his own conviction.

My friend in MailCircle wrote as to the complex:

Quote: If we are not convinced, let us look at those first disciples, who, immediately after encountering the gaze of Jesus, went forth to proclaim him joyfully: “We have found the Messiah!” (Jn 1:41). The Samaritan woman became a missionary immediately after speaking with Jesus and many Samaritans come to believe in him “because of the woman’s testimony” (Jn 4:39). So too, Saint Paul, after his encounter with Jesus Christ, “immediately proclaimed Jesus” (Acts 9:20; cf. 22:6-21). So what are we waiting for? End of quote.​

Yes – well - what are we waiting for?
But as to “immediately then proclaim God” it really is a huge difference to do so “after encountering the gaze of Jesus” - or as we do; do so out of belief. Jesus Himself said in Mt 13,16/17: many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

Truly if we had the blessing to encounter the gaze of Jesus – which we only will have after our death, then belief would have struck us like lightning. Though we must admit, that those taking and torturing Christ, had seen His face too and still never saw Him. This goes with what I pointed out yesterday:
Surely you too often experienced what’s described in Isaiah 6,9; that the GOOD NEWS in some actually lead to even more disbelief, stubbornness and hardness of heart. So after some trials we often preferred to let it be – which is terribly hurting.
And since it’s fact, that even the disciples doubted Christ’s resurrection when told by the women, we must not despair, when from time to time we get tempted with some doubts.
When these are served by hell, we got but one emergency rescue: The urgent prayer to God to keep Satan away from us.
When it comes to this point, I again as so often must say, that I am convinced that Jesus in Mt 16,23 didn’t mean Peter, but Satan himself, who stood at St. Peter’s side, tempting Jesus and letting Peter, who was an upright fisherman, fearing God and loving Jesus Christ whom he well knew was the Messiah, say: No my Lord – God beware you must never go into this passion.
Peter never at the time overlooked the necessety of Christ’s Passion. Before the Holy Spirit on Pentecost provided them with the full insight and knowledge of the scriptures, these fishermen, tax collectors and other ordinary integrated people, where no scribes, but honest grown men. People like you and me as it were. We too would have been shocked, if Christ suddenly opened us a view on His passion and sought for ways out of this tragedy.
It was Satan only, who knew the scope and who therefore lay these words into Peters mouth and it was Jesus only, who saw Satan – addressing him by: Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
Surely St. Peter was shocked and asked himself – to whom die my Lord say this?! Definitely Jesus Christ did not address Peter the rock, upon whom He build His Church, as “Satan”. Satan himself no living person ever saw but Jesus. If we’d see Satan, we’d freeze to death by shock and horror.

As to the Samaritan woman in John 1,41 – her eyes too where not held and her ears not held as told in Is 6,9 - - Mt 13,14 - John 12,39-41 - Acts 28,25-27, so that she could recognize the true nature of Jesus Christ.

Now someone asked in a forum, if that wasn’t just, that some are not allowed to understand and comprehend (to the extend we are able to). It truly is just, for God knows if this person opens his heart for God, or refuses God. Then he is not worthy to be instructed and taught and stays “outside” as told in Mt 7,6: Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
Yours
Bruno