David Cowles is the founder and editor-in-chief of Aletheia Today Magazine. He lives with his family in Massachusetts where he studies and writes about philosophy, science, theology, and scripture. < Back David Cowles Editor-in-Chief David Cowles is the founder and editor-in-chief of Aletheia Today Magazine. He lives with his family in Massachusetts where he studies and writes about philosophy, science, theology, and scripture. He can be reached at dtc@gc3incorporated.com Anaxagoras The Probability of Nothing The Secret Things of Life Zeno's New Paradox World Without God Amen How Matthew Spins Mark Robert Frost Was Wrong The Seven Pillars of Wisdom God is a Bother! Destiny Versus Fate Moses, Machiavelli, and Morality Is the Universe Real? Jeremiah Mark's Marks of Authenticity The Owl and the Pussycat The Meaning of Life The Frost Diamond Dante and the Yellow Submarine Super-Determinism Marx vs. Mark Sacramental Priesthood The Wonder School The Concept of Death I'm Ageless and Timeless Is Techno-Optimism a New Religion? Happiness We All Live in a Yellow Submarine Leviticus and the Fed Arithmetic Marcel Proust Life is a Movie Alphabet Philip Goff I Seem To Be a Klein Bottle Determinism...or Entaglement? Should I Vote? Robert Frost A 'New' Old Theory of Consciousness Mythology Before Marvel Comics Home Alone Is Childhood a Crime? Political Alienation Do You Know What I am? Do We Need God? Logical Positivism Utilitarianism The 'O Antiphons' Love...Actually! Do You Noh? Is Childhood a Crime? Political Alienation Leibniz Causality and 'The Bhagavad Gita' R U WYSIWYG? Time for a New Turing Test Is God Dead? The 7th Day Satan, Mary, and ‘Da Judge’ Is Childhood a Crime? Political Alienation Idolatry Chatting with C.S. Lewis Do Bots Know Beauty? AI for Healthcare Friedrich Nietzsche Personae I Am the Walrus Ship of Theseus The Theology of Mikhail Bakunin Eucharist Read on a Beach Ave Maria Albert Camus The Comedy of Job The Meaning of Life Thrown by Heidegger Apocolypse Now! Ephesians 2:10 God's Will Revelation Kabbalah and Thomas the Train Whitehead and Zohar The Structure of Prayer The Our Father Where the Time Goes Mythology Now! Morals and Values I Seem to be a Membrane Football and Quantum Mechanics Messiah Redux May Day My Breastplate The Lottery Two-Faced God Beyond Pascal's Wager Returning to Andromeda The Lego Movie and John Stewart Bell JK Rowling and Pliny the Elder Hell Middle Voice Who R U? Beatitutes Psalm 151 Educating Christians Past, Present, Future Particularity Jericho Christian Anarchism Boethius Our Inanimate Neighbors Converge This! - Dante and The Beatles Converge This! - John Paul Sartre and Pope Leo XIII Job is My Superhero Handel's Messiah A Universe From Nothing Bakunin Nailed It: The Sterile Socialism of Marx and Engles Job vs. James, Rex Christ the King Football Math Moore's Nativity Be a Bee Bible Read Backwards What Did John See? St. Paul's Lord's Prayer Achilles and Tortoise Prepare to Be Shocked Pronouns Systematic Philosophy Is This Really All There Is? Ectaban I Wasn't Anything TOE Faith, Hope, Love Cosmic Crossroads Mommy Math Part One S erenity Prayer Xiako Can't Count Alice Learn to Swym Speaking Piraha Imagine! The Final Psalms Corinthians The Nature of Time Science and the Yellow Submari ne Part II Part II Competing Creeds The Great Commandment Shakespeare Nihilism How to Coach an Undefeated Football Team The Sultan and the Sea Jesus is Badass The People's Creed Teaching Physics in the 21st Century Science and the Yellow Submarine Genesis Wins the Nobel Prize Hows and Whys The Riddle of Job Christology 101 The Problem of Good Eternity vs. Immortality The Meaning of Music Mary Poppins, Sufi Master Haiku Corner Vacuum Monster Quark Soup

< Back Mistakes David Cowles Jun 30, 2021 Have you ever made a mistake and then repeated the same mistake years later? Well, the British government has. In 1776, they underestimated the determination of the American people to be independent of Britain. Then, approximately 250 years later, they underestimated the determination of their own people to be independent of Continental Europe (the EU). I hope our British cousins will celebrate America’s Independence with us on July 4th. I know I will celebrate the UK’s independence with them on January 31. Happy 4th everyone! Have you ever made a mistake and then repeated the same mistake years later? Well, the British government has. In 1776, they underestimated the determination of the American people to be independent of Britain. Then, approximately 250 years later, they underestimated the determination of their own people to be independent of Continental Europe (the EU). I hope our British cousins will celebrate America’s Independence with us on July 4th. I know I will celebrate the UK’s independence with them on January 31. Happy 4th everyone! Previous Share Next Do you like what you just read and want to read more Thoughts? Subscribe today for free! Thoughts While Shaving - the official blog of Aletheia Today Magazine. Click here.

< Back Job & the Prime Directive David Cowles Mar 23, 2026 “Job Sues God! - the headline screams across the region’s tabloids.” 1900 words, 8 minute read Americans are currently engaged in a great debate: To what extent is POTUS subject to the same laws as every other resident of the US and to what extent, if any, does (s)he enjoy immunity. It’s an old topic. It was a subtext in the debate that ultimately led to the US Constitution and its Bill of Rights. George III’s lack of accountability helped spark the War of Independence (1776). While Louis XIV famously asserted, “I am the State,” Louis XVI found himself tied-up in knots by the Parlement of Paris and the Estates General. And of course, it was top of mind for the nobles who confronted King John at Runnymede (Magna Carta 1215 CE). I could go on…but I won’t put you through it. (You’re welcome!) I will, however, ask you to accompany me back to the first and best known work on the subject, the Old Testament Book of Job , given its present form c. 500 BCE but including primary source material dating at least as far back as the mid-second millennium. The text of Job is divided into 42 chapters. The first two are a prose prologue describing the circumstances leading up to the matter at hand. They are intended to give the poem context. The 40 remaining chapters consist of an epic that must be ranked alongside the works of Homer, Virgil, Ovid, Dante, Milton and Pound ( Cantos ) for sheer poetic prowess. 35 chapters present a verbatim transcript of a debate between Job and several prominent legal scholars concerning the rights of God and Man (sic). The final 5 chapters record the legendary confrontation between YHWH, Maker of Heaven & Earth…and Job, that’s right, ‘dust and ashes’ Job. Whatever you do with the rest of your life, don’t miss this! That said, the poetic text, beautiful even in translation, can be frustrating. Job and his interlocutors stand toe-to-toe throwing haymakers at each other for 35 chapters. Each speech is logically constructed and brilliantly delivered, but the pugilists never lay a glove on one another. The problem? The two sides have completely different understandings of ‘God’…and they don’t realize it. They use the same vocabulary ( YHWH, Elohim, El Shaddai, et al.) but they mean totally different things by these terms. The scholars argue that whatever God has done to Job must be just; but tellingly, they argue this conclusion employing three incompatible chains of reasoning: Whatever God has done vis-a-vis Job must be just because God is just , so whatever he does must be just no matter how it appears to us. It is up to us to conform our concept of ‘justice’ to God’s, not vice-versa. Like the novices that we are, we learn to play chess by studying the moves of the Grand Master. Because God is the Creator of Heaven and Earth, he defines Justice per se , and accordingly, his will constitutes what is just. Whatever God does is justice! Because God is Pantocrator , the Supreme Ruler, the question of ‘justice’ doesn’t enter into it. God does what God does, period. He’s God for heaven’s sake! There is no right to question, dispute, or appeal. God is a 1950’s style parent: what God says goes, end of! God’s actions require no justification. And as far as Job’s troubles are concerned…well, “yakety yak, Job talked back!” But Job demurs: I know justice when I see it and this ain’t it! To be fair, we know that Job is right only because we know the back story (Job 1-2). Otherwise, we might find ourselves on the same side as the overly legalistic scholars. Here’s the ‘set-up’: Job, a virtuous man by all accounts, righteous in his personal conduct, just and generous in his dealings with others, suddenly loses his wealth, his children, his reputation, his social standing, and eventually, his health. He appears to be the victim of a capricious ‘Act of God’ and, as we know but his audience doesn’t, he is. That God acted unjustly in this matter is not in dispute. He admits it and shows no remorse. The legal issue here is whether God, being God, the Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth, is entitled to act capriciously. I mean, he is God after all! That’s got to count for something, right? But Job is unwilling to accept this conclusion. He is channeling Sartre, millennia before his time: God does not choose Justice as an attribute (as we do on our best days). ‘Just’ does not merely characterize God; God is Justice! For him to behave unjustly is incompatible with his nature, his identity, i.e. with his being God. Furthermore, Justice is not some esoteric concept; literally everyone knows what Justice is…even though we may sometimes disagree on how to apply it. Job’s faith is unshakable! Despite every indication to the contrary, God will make things right. He cannot do otherwise. He is God. The absurdity and audacity of Job’s position is summed up in what is perhaps his most famous fragment: “I know that my redeemer lives and that on the last day he will stand upon the earth and when my skin has fallen off my bones, yet I will still see God, not through the eyes of another, but with my own eyes I will see him.” (19: 25-27) The idea that we have rights vis-à-vis our creator is one of Judaism’s greatest contributions to Intellectual History. And so Job refuses to defer to the sterile arguments of the scholars. To the amusement of his taunting neighbors, Job initiates formal legal proceedings against YHWH: Job Sues God! - the headline screams across the region’s tabloids. Job is suing God for performance ; he is asking the court to require God to be God and to act accordingly. Job exploits an arcane provision in the legal code of the Levant to summon God to court. Furious but obedient, God appears…though he insists on addressing the court ‘out of the whirlwind’. The final 5 chapters of Job are nothing less than a middle school cafeteria food fight. God and Job throw ballons de merde at each other non-stop. God sets the tone in his opening statement to the court, dripping with sarcasm: “Who is this who obscures good counsel, using words without knowledge? Bind up your loins like a man! I will ask you – and you will help me know !” (38: 2-3) Imagine, God asking Job to instruct him ? I don’t think so! And God maintains this demeaning, dismissive tone toward Job throughout the proceedings. Job says little. According to the intricacies of local law, Job is presumed to be the aggrieved party; it is God who must convince the court that he is innocent…which he is not. Job is no fool…as God is fast finding out. Like Ali in the Jungle, Job is content to let YHWH punch himself out. Job knows not to talk past the close; but what he does say speaks volumes: “Lacking respect, how can I answer you? My hand I place over my mouth. I have spoken once and I will not repeat; twice, and I will no more.” (40: 4-5) Unable to imagine a mere mortal responding to God as an equal, commentators have ignored Job’s obvious sarcasm, a reflection of God’s own tone, and concluded that Job is sincerely capitulating. Really? On what planet? “Lacking respect?” Is Job complaining that God does not respect him, or worse, is he saying that he has lost respect for God, or both? Any way you parse it, these are not the words of a vanquished and contrite vassal. Plus, if Job were really conceding the case, why doesn’t the trial, and the text, end here? Why does God feel the need to offer a second defense, adding three apparently superfluous chapters to an already ‘overlong’ document? Was God taking a victory lap? I doubt it! God’s first argument is sharp but ineffectual. It is based on a hierarchical concept of Being and a despotic notion of Divinity. His second argument is softer and rooted in ecology. It runs something like, “Hey, there are a lot of variables here and I have a lot on my plate. You’re not the only fish…or monster…in the sea; in fact, you’re not even my favorite (that’s Behemoth) or the top of the food chain (that’s Leviathan). Frankly, you’re a pain in my butt.” Bottom line, “I’m doing the best I can under the circumstances.” Just as we heard Sartre in Job, we now find hints of Leibniz ( best of all possible worlds ) in God’s argument. But it’s too little too late…and God knows it. The poet gives Job the last word and he makes the most of it: “Who is this (God) hiding counsel without knowledge? Truly I’ve spoken without comprehending – wonders beyond me that I do not know. Hear now and I will speak! I will ask you and you will help me know. As a hearing by the ear, I have heard you, and now my eye has seen you. That is why I am fed up (with you) and I take pity on ‘dust and ashes’ (humanity).” (42: 3-6) So often, finales disappoint; not this one! What a brilliant exit speech. Job begins by sarcastically echoing God’s opening statement and ends by demeaning and trivializing the God he so fiercely defended over his entire lifetime. What a crushing blow! But God is God after all; in the end he proved himself ‘the bigger man (sic)’. He did not smite Job on the spot nor did he set the planet ablaze. Rather, he praised Job for his persistence and for the correctness of his theology; and he castigated the scholars, his self-appointed defense team, for misrepresenting the ways of God to man (sic); but he also urged Job to forgive them (which he did). Meanwhile, God does what Job always believed he would do: he restored all that Job had lost… and he voluntarily paid treble damages! Job’s victory is a theological game changer; unfortunately, it’s a change that most everyone has missed. It was not until the 20th century that a philosopher (Alfred North Whitehead) clearly reasserted Job’s core contention: God is not an exception to Natural Law nor is he exempt from its mandates; rather God is Natural Law or at least he is the paradigmatic expression of that law. Natural Law ( aka Oral Torah) is the Prime Directive of the Universe. Nothing and no one is exempt from its provisions. But that should not be seen as a limitation on God’s existential freedom. God is free when and only when God is being God and Natural Law is God being God. Natural Law is God’s essence as it is felt in every corner of the spatiotemporal world. Just as the EM Field is the universal manifestation of an electron so Natural Law is the universal manifestation of God. Natural Law is the Prime Directive of Being itself; as such, it can tolerate no exceptions and not even the Maker of Heaven and Earth is exempt. *** Salvador Dalí’s 1936 masterpiece depicts a grotesque, dismembered figure tearing itself apart against a stark Spanish landscape, serving as a visceral metaphor for the self-destruction of a nation during the Spanish Civil War. The composition features a central, agonizing face and straining limbs that create a claustrophobic, triangular tension, illustrating the physical and psychological horror of internal conflict. By including a small pile of boiled beans at the bottom, Dalí adds a surreal, mundane contrast to the monumental violence, suggesting the meager nourishment available to a society consuming itself. Previous Share Next Do you like what you just read and want to read more Thoughts? Subscribe today for free! Thoughts While Shaving - the official blog of Aletheia Today Magazine. Click here.

"In any case, Pentecost turns out to be a big deal after all. Reformed folk can join with those claiming to be a “full-gospel church”—maybe even remind the others of some overlooked elements in that mix." < Back Growing Into Pentecost James Bratt Apr 15, 2023 "In any case, Pentecost turns out to be a big deal after all. Reformed folk can join with those claiming to be a “full-gospel church”—maybe even remind the others of some overlooked elements in that mix." When I was a kid, I never got the big deal about Pentecost. For one, it didn’t come along with any special songs or meals. Compare that to Easter, where you could get both of those in one package: “ Low in the Gravy Lay .” Actually, you didn’t really want the gravy my mom served with her Easter ham dinner, although we offset that salt-special with her lime jello concoction that combined all four food groups: pear chunks, shredded carrots, chopped walnuts, and a Kool-Whip topping for your bit of dairy. If it was Aunt Jen’s turn to host the extended-family gathering, you could count on treats my parents tried to avoid for the sake of dental bills, hyper-activity, and uncomfortable fertility symbolism: chocolate eggs, marshmallow chicks, and unlimited jelly beans. For Christmas, of course, we had several family reunions, with jello (there’s a pattern here), chips, and pigs-in-the-blanket sure to pop up along the way. Plus carols at church and home, gift exchanges, and enough sentiment stirred up to suffuse the heart against all pain and doubt. Weird and Discomfiting But Pentecost? Nuthin’ . No canonical hymns, no special dinner (except your beef roast and mashed potatoes were always special, Mom), no family gatherings, only weirdness topped by discomfiting admonitions. The weirdness lay with those tongues of fire and mighty wind. Hey, springtime in Michigan is tornado weather, so ixnay on the turbulent atmosphere already! The Sunday School pictures of bearded, berobed guys whose heads were suffering from mis-directed charcoal lighter inspired distaste rather than the tears evoked by Baby Jesus or the awe attending the Risen Lord. Plus one heard rumors of crazy people who used Pentecost as a label, “holy rollers” who handled snakes and claimed, against all reason and scientific evidence, that they could perform miraculous healings. Not that we Dutch Reformed types denied miracles—just that you shouldn’t bet on them or have the audacity to command God to deliver them on cue. Or really expect one for yourself. As for the discomfiting admonitions, well, the Pentecost sermon was bound to urge us to go out and “witness,” which to me meant cold-calling strangers door-to-door or confronting random persons on the street and asking them where they would be spending eternity if they died tonight. Christian Reformed people tended not to be very good at that, and—it still seems to me—for very good reason. Nor did I yet know Mark Twain’s response to that question: “I’ll take heaven for the climate and hell for the company.” Why does that advice seem so apropos today? Junior Partner/Tag-Along Child? The biggest problem with Pentecost, however, seemed to be that there just wasn’t much for the Holy Spirit to do. I mean, how did this guy merit inclusion in the Trinity along with the Father and the Son, who obviously carried out some pretty heavy lifting? Wasn’t the Trinity really a 2+-ity, the alleged Third Person really qualifying as a junior partner, something like the trailing child born to a couple who thought they were done after #2 ? After all, the Spirit gets only one Q&A in the Heidelberg Catechism while the Father gets three and the Son twenty-four! And however rich the answer to Q&A 53 may be, what I took out of catechism class was that the Holy Spirit had just two jobs: to comfort us when sad and to inspire the writers of the Bible so that their texts were infallible. That is, all those unpredictable, unsettling actions hovering around the Holy Spirit package were stripped away so that God was back in the box of words bound within black-leather covers. Back in the text. Our sure and perfect text-box. Calvin–Theologian of the Holy Spirit? People my age and of similar background have told me they learned it very differently, so part—much?—of my truncated understanding probably reflects bad reception rather than bad teaching. In any case, my real education on the point has come in three parts. It began in grad school when I dove into The Spirit of the Reformed Tradition by Eugene Osterhaven, late professor of theology at Western Theological Seminary. I was astounded to come across a line describing John Calvin as a—perhaps the premier—theologian of the Holy Spirit. And to see that characterization attributed to B. B. Warfield of all people, co-inventor of the theory of biblical inerrancy. But as I read on, there and in other sources, of Calvin’s teaching about the testimony of the Holy Spirit—the action that transforms the dead page of scripture into the living word of God in our hearts—various old doubts and conundrums in my head began to be resolved, and the Third Person took on a richer role, something of a mentor and companion. Not a miracle-worker, maybe, although keeping me from behaving down to my worst level might sometimes be miracle enough. Kuyper, too? Things got richer yet in doing research for my biography of Abraham Kuyper. In his Work of the Holy Spirit (1888-89; E.T. 1956) Kuyper ties the Spirit’s role closely to his own favorite themes of creation and culture. Out of the chaos attending the human fall into sin the Spirit has been, is, and unto the end of time shall remain busy bringing out a new creation that will finally sing perfect praises to its Maker, as was the divine intention in the first place. Meanwhile, Kuyper continued, all along the Spirit has been bringing forth the first notes and sounding forth the big themes of that grand symphony. Included here are the well-known tasks of working sanctification among the saints—more accurately, conveying Christ’s perfections to them—as well as inspiring the Scriptures, conceiving the person of Christ, and building the church as Christ’s representative on earth. But the Spirit’s sweep goes far beyond the elect and the familiar tropes of redemption, Kuyper insisted. Every human gift, every talent, every good work is the Spirit’s work. The vocation of every person, redeemed or not, and the “genius” of every nation are the Spirit’s gift. The “work of the Holy Spirit,” Kuyper even said, “touches every creature, whether animate and inanimate”—those butterflies and bears and rocks and trees and skies and seas are charismatic that way. Nor is the Spirit’s work in creation a once and done affair; it is still active today, “quickening and sustaining life” in every creature’s “being and talents.” (E.T. 45-46) This Incredibly Benevolent Force All these reflections were called back up but also re-set when I recently read This Incredibly Benevolent Force: The Holy Spirit in Reformed Theology and Spirituality (Eerdmans 2018), the published version of the 2014 Warfield Lectures given at Princeton Theological Seminary by my friend Cornelis van der Kooi. As a professor at the Free University in Amsterdam, Kees stands literally in Kuyper’s line; but with additional duties as director of the Center for Evangelical and Reformation Theology there, he has also taken on the role of being a critical friend of the ongoing charismatic movement, both at home and abroad. Cornelius “Kees” van der Kooi Kees trims back some of Kuyper’s enthusiasms; the master was too enamored of secularization and technology, as well as dualistic as to spiritual-material distinctions. At the same time, This Incredibly Benevolent Force is a tour de force on the state of play between Logos and Spirit Christology, bringing Christ down out of the clouds of Greek philosophical abstraction into the living, learning, suffering, and finally triumphant life of Jesus. It is the Spirit who made and makes him Emanuel, the one who is “with us”—and for us. At the same time, it is the Spirit that bears the love of God into the unfathomably far reaches of a cosmos that would otherwise remain a blank space, the big empty. From down here to the farthest out there, the Spirit is active, inviting us indeed to bear witness to the wonderful works of God. To me that “witness” means mostly watching and living accordingly, using words, á la St. Francis, only when necessary. In any case, Pentecost turns out to be a big deal after all. Reformed folk can join with those claiming to be a “full-gospel church”—maybe even remind the others of some overlooked elements in that mix. I’ll pass on the charcoal lighter and snakes, though; just settle for a decent meal. Hmmm, maybe some bread and wine. This piece is republished with permission from the author. It was originally published on Reformed Journal . James Bratt is professor of history emeritus at Calvin College, specializing in American religious history and especially the connections between religion and politics. Starting in Fall 2016 he took a break from blogging on The Twelve to teach in China and on the Semester at Sea, which venues afforded him some welcome distance from the USA’s descent into its current mortal illness. But now he’s back in the States, looking for hope. His most recent book (which he edited and completed for the late John Woolverton) is “A Christian and a Democrat”: Religion in the Life and Leadership of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Return to our Holy Days 2023 Table of Contents, Share Previous Next Click here. Do you like what you just read? Subscribe today and receive sneak previews of Aletheia Today Magazine articles before they're published. Plus, you'll receive our quick-read, biweekly blog, Thoughts While Shaving. Subscribe Thanks for subscribing! Return to Table of Contents, Winter 2023 Issue Return to Table of Contents, Holiday Issue Return to Table of Contents, Halloween Issue Return to Table of Contents, Fall Issue Return to Table of Contents, Beach Issue Return to Table of Contents, June Issue

< Back Elizabeth Bradfield Contributor Elizabeth Bradfield is the author of five collections, most recently Toward Antarctica and Theorem , a collaboration with artist Antonia Contro. She has co-edited the anthologies Broadsided Press: Fifteen Years of Poetic/Artistic Collaboration and Cascadia: A Field Guide Through Art, Ecology and Poetry (forthcoming 2023). Her work has been appeared in The New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, Poetry, and her honors include the Audre Lorde Prize and a Stegner Fellowship . Founder of Broadsided Press ( www.broadsidedpress.org ), Liz works as a naturalist/guide and teaches creative writing at Brandeis University. www.ebradfield.com Again

< Back Eucharist David Cowles “…The spacetime world of matter and energy, 14 billion years old and almost 100 billion light years across, is not the final word.” The sacrament known as Eucharist is the cornerstone of Roman Catholic (RC) spirituality. The accompanying theology maintains that in Eucharist Jesus Christ is substantially ‘present’ under the accidental appearance of bread and wine. Further, RC Eucharistic Theology holds that the consecration of bread and wine (the specie ) during a proper liturgy actually changes that substance of that species into the Body and Blood of Christ. Appropriately, Catholics refer to this process as transubstantiation . Much of RC Theology can be (and has been?) dumbed-down and/or sugar-coated to be more appealing to our modern intellectual tastes…but not Eucharist! Here, there is no wiggle room. Believe me, we’ve tried everything over the past 2,000 years – but to no avail. Eucharist does not symbolize or signify Jesus’ body and blood; it is Jesus’ body and blood. Nor are we saying that Jesus’ body and blood co-exists with the bread and wine; it doesn’t! Substantially speaking, after consecration, there is no more bread or wine. There is the appearance of bread and wine but not the substance. Nor are we saying that Jesus is only ‘provisionally present’ in Eucharist. His presence is not dependent on the moral virtue of the celebrant nor on the faith of the congregation or of the individual communicant…nor on the grape or vintage of the wine. Hints of leather and tobacco are strictly optional! Nor are we saying that Jesus is only ‘partially present’. On the contrary, RC Theology states clearly that Jesus Christ, body and soul, humanity and divinity, is present in the consecrated species. See what I mean? No wiggle room! I’m holding a baseball in my hands. It’s a baseball! It doesn’t matter who made it or what that person’s state of mind was at the time; it doesn’t matter whether I enjoy baseball or even understand its rules. Being a baseball does not depend on context; it’s a matter of substance. Of course, there is one difference: the baseball not only is a baseball, it appears to be a baseball as well. Not so Eucharist! It is the body and blood of Christ, but it appears to be bread and wine. Needless to say, few non-Christians share this belief. In fact, most non-Catholic Christians hold a different view of the Sacrament. It is only slightly more surprising (Pew, 2019) that a majority of self-identified ‘Roman Catholics’, and even some practicing Roman Catholics, do not accept the Church’s teaching on this matter. No real surprise here. Frankly, the wonder is that anyone accepts such a bizarre doctrine as this. Today, we share an understanding of physics, chemistry and biology that would seem to rule out anything even remotely resembling transubstantiation. But that is precisely the point! Transubstantiation is incompatible, superficially at least, with ‘the hard sciences’. Modern science has given us a compelling model of the physical world, and we have no quarrel with that. However, what science has modeled is, obviously, the world of appearances, attributes, qualities, accidents – Kant’s phenomena - not the world of substance, his noumena . In the Beatles’ iconic movie (1967), Yellow Submarine , Jeremey Hillary Boob famously instructs the Fab Four, “Be empirical, look!” Exactly! And when we do, we see the accidents, bread and wine; we don’t see anything that we would recognize as body or blood, thank God! In this respect, Eucharist is a symbol, not of Jesus, but of Universe. To be clear, Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ, but it is also symbolic of Universe. How so? Eucharistic Theology suggests that the spacetime world of matter and energy, 14 billion years old and almost 100 billion light years across, is not the final word. There is something more fundamental. Christians believe that ‘something more fundamental’ is God. The world we live in appears to be continuous, flat and inert. We do not need complicated mathematics to plot a trip from Boston to Cleveland; a simple road map, unfolded on the passenger seat, will do just fine. We can ignore contributions to our trajectory from relativity, quantum mechanics and the earth’s curvature. Likewise, modern science has given us a map of Universe that allows us to accomplish just about anything we want…except to understand that universe. Hasidic Rebbe Schneerson spoke of “…t he concept of oneness within the microcosm of the human being—which serves as an analogy and example of the true oneness of the macro-cosmos.” He concluded, “All that exists is spiritual. Yet further, everything is divine.” According to modern cosmology, the foundation of the material world is a ‘void’; according to Rebbe Schneerson, it is a ‘person’, aka God. We see the personhood of Universe reflected in the ‘souls’ of things that exist in that universe. According to the Rebbe Yitzchak Luria, even a rock has a soul as evidenced by its self-identification, by its cohesion, and by its discontinuity with the environment. Rabbi Schneur Zalman, founder of the Chabad school, wrote that a rock must have a soul ( persona ) because it exists. Being is an activity. “I seem to be a verb” (R. Buckminster Fuller). Using Eucharistic terminology, Universe is accidentally space and time, matter and energy, but it exists; so substantially, it is the mind (or will) of God. David Cowles is the founder and editor-in-chief of Aletheia Today Magazine. He lives with his family in Massachusetts where he studies and writes about philosophy, science, theology, and scripture. He can be reached at david@aletheiatoday.com . Return to our Beach Read 2023 Table of Contents Previous Next

< Back You Really Were Born for This Jade Baldwin "Esther’s journey from obscurity to influence exemplifies the profound truth that individuals are often placed in specific circumstances to fulfill significant purposes, even amid uncertainty and peril." Toward the end of the Old Testament is a book that is dissimilar from the others, but a dissimilarity that feels so purposeful it’s hard to overlook its reason for placement at that time in Jewish history and also its continued relevance in the lives of believers today. The Book of Esther introduces us to a female heroin whose story is vibrant with themes like destiny, identity, and divine providence. At its heart lies the compelling tale of a Jewish orphan who unexpectedly rises to become queen of Persia during a critical juncture in Jewish history. Her ascension, seemingly coincidental yet laden with purpose, embodies one of the most spoken verses of scripture: “Perhaps you were born for such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14) In reading Esther, one cannot help but wonder about their own identity, destiny, and God’s providence in their life. Esther's journey begins with her humble upbringing under the care of her cousin Mordecai in Susa, the capital of the Persian Empire. Following Queen Vashti's dismissal for disobedience, Esther enters a royal beauty contest and wins the favor of King Xerxes, ultimately becoming his queen (Esther 2:17). This seemingly fortuitous turn of events, however, is soon revealed to be a strategic placement orchestrated by a higher hand. As Mordecai warns Esther of the imminent threat to the Jewish people posed by the vengeful vizier, Haman, he implores her to intercede on behalf of her people before the king. Mordecai's pivotal words, mentioned above (Esther 4:14) resonate with the conviction that has been building in Esther, that her elevation to queenhood was not mere chance at all, but rather a providential positioning for a crucial task. This theme of identity plays a critical role in Esther’s story, particularly the discernment of when to hide one’s true identity and when to reveal it. Initially, Mordecai advises Esther to conceal her Jewish heritage (Esther 2:10), a precautionary measure that protects her in the Persian court. This act of concealment allows Esther to navigate the royal environment without prejudice, highlighting the complex decisions individuals must make regarding their identity in potentially hostile settings. It garners her trust among those who don’t understand her people. However, the necessity of revealing her identity arises as Haman's genocidal decree against the Jews looms large. Recognizing the gravity of the situation and emboldened by Mordecai's admonition that her silence could lead to her people's demise, Esther risks her life by disclosing her Jewish identity to King Xerxes (Esther 7:3-4). Her courageous revelation not only unveils the truth but also precipitates Haman's downfall. This moment underscores the delicate balance between prudence and necessary revelation, teaching that the timing and context of disclosing one's purposeful identity can be as significant as the revelation itself. A unique aspect of the Book of Esther is the absence of explicit mentions of God, which contrasts with other biblical texts. This absence, however, serves as a subtle marker of God’s authority and plans at work. While God's name is not directly invoked, His presence is palpably felt through the series of events that favor Esther and her people. This narrative choice emphasizes faith in the unseen, where divine intervention subtly shapes human affairs without overt proclamation. We have all been through periods where God feels completely absent; stories like Esther’s remind us that God is ever present even in the quiet. (Psalm 46:1) For instance, one pivotal example of implied divine intervention is the sleepless night of King Xerxes, leading to the discovery of Mordecai's unrewarded act of loyalty (Esther 6:1-3). This seemingly trivial incident triggers a cascade of events culminating in Haman’s downfall and the salvation of the Jews. The narrative's subtlety in presenting these occurrences invites readers to perceive the invisible hand of God at work, orchestrating events for the greater good. Esther's story thus becomes a powerful testament to the belief that God, though unseen, is always at work and actively involved in our lives. The narrative of Esther also highlights the importance of courage and faith in the face of adversity. Esther's willingness to risk her life for the sake of her people exemplifies the ethical imperative of using one's position and influence for justice and righteousness. Her actions reflect a profound understanding of her role and responsibility, illustrating the belief that individuals are often placed in specific circumstances to fulfill significant purposes. This ties back again to the banner of being born at a specific place in history for a specific purpose. Esther’s story offers timeless lessons on courage, faith, and the discernment of God-given purpose. Esther's journey from obscurity to influence exemplifies the profound truth that individuals are often placed in circumstances to fulfill significant roles, even amid uncertainty and peril. Her willingness to risk her life for the sake of her people highlights the ethical imperative of using one's position and influence for justice and righteousness. Moreover, the narrative's portrayal of God’s providence, though veiled, underscores the belief that God works mysteriously yet decisively for his creation. Reflecting on Esther's narrative, we are reminded of the enduring relevance of her story in contemporary contexts. It challenges us to discern our own moments of destiny and to act with courage and conviction when called upon to make a difference. Just as Esther stood at the crossroads of history, so are we called to embrace our roles in shaping a world where justice, compassion, and the creator’s great plan converge. Jade lives and writes in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, where she is dedicated to sharing the wisdom of scripture as it applies to the present. She leads engaging Bible discussion groups for the elderly, fostering a deeper understanding and connection to faith. Her work aims to inspire and uplift readers, encouraging a life of purpose and devotion. Return to our 2024 Beach Read Previous Next

< Back New Life Through Pain Donna Bucher "New life brings with it the joy of unquenchable hope, but a careless memory forgets that, like childbirth, new life comes only through great trial and, at times, pain." The rain cascading off the roof like a waterfall reminded me of the overwhelming emotion that paralyzed me the moment I heard the news. Though the passing of time blurs the sharpness of the memory, the old ache validates its truth. When new life emerges through trial and pain, we seldom value the process as much as we treasure the outcome. New life brings with it the joy of unquenchable hope, but a careless memory forgets that, like childbirth, new life comes only through great trial and, at times, pain. Spring’s sweetest song is that of new life, as the earth awakens from its winter slumber. Yet, as earth’s womb births new life from the dark soil in my gardens, I still see the harsh remnants in the dry, dead wastes of the journey to a new beginning. The new life surrounding me as nature blossoms into its season of beauty, growth, and expansion, passed through a time of death. Leaves perished and were shed from the trees, flowers wilted, greenery shriveled; life faded from view, discarded and buried. Then, from dead seeds, bulbs, and roots, life resurrects brand new with the dawning of spring. Perhaps the most vivid illustration of new life emerging from death, pain, and suffering is told in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For, while I stand the recipient of the new life purchased for me at the Cross, I must understand it came through the torturous death of Christ. For though eternal life was sealed through Christ’s resurrection, His sacrificial death was required first for the purging of sin (Romans 8:1-39, 1 John 2:2). The greatest gift ever given, eternal life, is but one facet of God’s love to us through Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. The new life we receive at salvation continues much like winter melting into spring year after year, as we transition through the winters of our lives, watching God bring new growth from harsh circumstances. Many years ago, on a spring day bursting with new life, I stood by a hospital bed holding my brother’s hand as we said goodbye to my father. Having flown together from Philadelphia to Charleston, South Carolina after receiving the news from my mother, we said the words buried long in our hearts. Yet at forty-nine years of age, my father lay in a coma, unable to respond. Just a few days later, he was gone. Thirty-seven years later, I still have questions, I still wonder if he heard my last “I love you.” Worst of all, I wonder if he knew Jesus. Though I shared my faith with my family, only my brother came to know Christ. It would be another fifteen years before I had the privilege to lead my mother to saving faith in Jesus Christ. Since then, standing beside the graves of many loved ones, including my granddaughter, Indigo Evangeline, has not only taught me much about death and grief but about the new life that blossoms through death and pain. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. And he who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.'" (Revelation 21:4-5, ESV) Jesus Christ defeated death to give us eternal life, but God is making all things new, even now. As a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), I live each day becoming more and more like Christ (Romans 8:29). Every trial and all suffering are redeemed through bringing forth new life, just as each year the same plants burst through the soil in my garden, anew, stronger, and more beautiful than the year before. Having weathered the harsh winter darkness, icy winds, heavy snows, and brutal spring rains, tender plants provide a vivid reminder of a strength rooted in hope, planted by Creator God. I stood as Christ’s own by the deathbed of my father thirty-seven years ago, but though I stand today at a rainy window still Christ’s own, I am not the same woman. God’s perfect work of making all things new started at my salvation many years ago, bringing forth the fruit of new life with each harsh winter season of my life. And while my outward man perishes through each season of suffering, my inward man is made new. One day, my full beauty will reflect His when we stand face to face. Image: Piero della Francesca's The Resurrection, created in the 1460s, is a fresco measuring 225 cm by 200 cm and is housed in the Museo Civico in Sansepolcro. Donna is a passionate creative, writer, poet, speaker, retired missionary, CASA volunteer, experienced counselor and hospice and palliative care support personnel. Founder of Serenity in Suffering blog, and author of the Serenity in Suffering newsletter on Substack, where she shares articles, resources and counseling designed to help readers grow personally and find spiritual intimacy with Christ; ultimately finding purpose in the trials they face. Previous Next

< Back Loaves and Fishes David Cowles Oct 10, 2024 “God is where he most needs to be, doing what he most needs to do.” Even folks with no religious background know what you mean when you mention the multiplication of loaves and fishes. The story has entered into popular culture, like Noah’s Ark for example. And why not? It’s miraculous, it’s spectacular, and it’s a perfect expression of Christ as the source of material and spiritual nourishment. All four canonical gospels include a ‘multiplication’ narrative – which is somewhat unusual outside of the Passion. The Gospels of Matthew and Mark, probably the two oldest, each include two ‘multiplication accounts’. Hmm, 6 accounts in 4 Gospels…someone must think this is important! According to Mark, Jesus fed 5,000 pilgrims on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee and a few weeks later 4,000 pilgrims on the southern shore. Some scholars have suggested that both accounts might refer to a single event, remembered differently in different traditions or told twice for dramatic effect. But our Enlightenment driven desire to minimize the miraculous element in the Jesus’ ministry is especially inappropriate here. The first event, by itself, tells a great story. But it is the second event that reveals what’s actually going on. It is precisely the juxtaposition of the two events that reveals the real significance of both. Let’s break it down. Jesus first feeds 5,000 pilgrims with just 5 loaves of bread (and a few fish); his disciples collect 12 baskets of scraps. Next time, he has 7 loaves to work with and only 4,000 pilgrims to satisfy. Easy-peasy. But when the disciples gather in the scraps, they only fill 7 baskets this time. According to the rules of arithmetic, we should have expected 21: ((7/4)/(5/5)) x 12 = 21. But we only get 7. How come? Is Jesus running out of steam? Are the apostles skimming? Is bread falling off the back of the donkey cart…in Galilee of all places? I mean, we’re all familiar with ‘shrinkage’…but this is ridiculous. Or is something else going on? If you find these details baffling, you’re in the very best of company. The apostles themselves didn’t have a clue…and this exasperated Jesus to no end: “Do you still not understand? Do you not remember the 5 loaves for the 5,000 and how many baskets you took up? Or the 7 loaves for the 4,000 and how many baskets you took up? How do you not comprehend…” (Matthew 16: 9-11) Of course, they still didn’t understand…and neither do we. I’m reminded of 1st grade when Sister Martha Mary was trying to teach the class basic addition. When she got to 2+2 = 4, there was one boy in the front row who simply could not get it (like me in 7th grade French). Sister had the patience of a saint but after 20 minutes, even she could contain herself no longer: “How do you not get this?” she shouted. Maybe not the best pedagogical technique but, hey, even the very best of us can get frustrated! A case can be made that the apostles never did figure it out! Mark and Matthew tell of both miracles. But even they fail to elucidate the significance of the numbers. Now fast forward to the later Gospels of Luke and John; they only mention the first multiplication story. How come? Is it possible that these New Testament Titans drank the ‘one miracle’ KoolAid? In the case of Luke, I think the answer is probably, “Yes.” Luke learned from Paul and Paul learned from the other apostles, especially Peter and James. There is every reason to believe that the details, the significance of which nobody clearly grasped, were lost in transmission. John is a more difficult case. Though a teenager at the time, he was nonetheless an ‘earwitness’ to these events. Of course, he wrote his Gospel in his ‘senior years’, more half a century after the events themselves…but still, we’re talking about one of the great intellects of Western civ. The only explanation I can come up with, and it’s not a good one, is that he had even more important ideas to convey. What about Jesus himself? He might have said, “Remember the times I fed multitudes with just a few loaves and fish and we had baskets full of scraps left over?” But instead, he focuses on the exact numbers (above). So…can we see now, 2 millennia later? Let’s try! First, the raw numbers themselves are significant. 12 is the # of the tribes of Israel; it is also the # of signs in the Zodiac. It represents the whole, the entirety. 7 is the # of the Sabbath; it represents fulfillment, God’s rest (7th day in Genesis). From it we derive the weekly ‘sabbath’ (7th day) and the ‘sabbatical’ (7th) year. Most importantly, the 7th sabbatical year (7 x 7 = 49) leads directly to a Jubilee year (the 50th) Hot Link, the ultimate expression of harmony and peace. Do all these numbers add up to a coherent narrative? 5 loaves/5,000 → 12 baskets, 7 loaves/4,000 → 7 baskets. The first ‘miracle’ provides the base case: 5 loaves feed 5,000 pilgrims with 12 baskets left over. That’s some doggie bag, BTW! But it’s the second miracle that explains the first and, potentially at least, lets us know ‘what’s happening’. Compare the 2nd input (7/4) with the first (5/5). Now compare the 2nd output (7) with the first (12). Notice how carefully these numbers were chosen. The numbers 5 and 7 appear twice. Jesus did not want the apostles to need a calculator to understand his message, so he made the math ‘easy’. Well, not easy enough apparently. The ratio of the inputs (7/4 : 5/5) is just 7/4 since 5/5 = 1 (thank you, Jesus). The ratio of the output is 7/12. See where this is headed (7/7 also equals 1, thanks again)? Now just divide the simplified input ratio (7/4) by the simplified output ratio (7/12) et voila… the 7’s cancel and you end up with 3, glorious 3, the number of the Trinity, a number representing the power of God. This cannot possibly be coincidental: the numbers are too peculiar…too precise…and too significant. Critically, this formula only works for the precise ratios cited by Matthew and Mark: 5/5/12 and 7/4/7. There is nothing accidental or haphazard about it! Critics of Judeo-Christian theology are fond of saying, “Your God is a ‘god of the gaps’!” You better believe he is! But our God is not some Baal, filling the shortfall measure for measure. Not our God! When he fills a gap, he fills it three-fold in accordance with his Trinitarian nature. Another way of saying this, “God is where he most needs to be, doing what he most needs to do.” Keep the conversation going. 1. Click here to contact us on any matter. How did you like the post? How could we do better in the future? Suggestions welcome. 2. To subscribe (at no cost) to TWS and ATM, follow this link . 3. We encourage new articles and reprints from freelance writers ; click here to view out Writers’ Specs Previous Share Next Do you like what you just read and want to read more Thoughts? Subscribe today for free! Thoughts While Shaving - the official blog of Aletheia Today Magazine. Click here.

< Back Death Valley David Cowles Apr 12, 2022 We expect that death will seem closer each time we check, but surprisingly, that isn’t what we experience. It seems as though death were retreating from us. The closer we get, the further it recedes. We “walk through the shadow of the valley of death.” That’s the nature of being a conscious human being. Stressful! Even as very young children, we are aware of death, but it seems almost unreal and impossibly far away. But we do the math, and as the years go by, from time to time, we do a ‘death check’. Still a long way off! Whew! We expect that death will seem closer each time we check, but surprisingly, that isn’t what we experience. It seems as though death were retreating from us . The closer we get, the further it recedes. This game of soldiers continues until one day we wake up! Suddenly, everything inverts: a phase change. Like planet Earth, our magnetic polls reverse. What was once concave is now convex. Rather than receding, death is now hurtling towards us at break net speed. We freeze, but it makes no difference. Death is coming for us, like it or not; in fact, it seems to be accelerating. We fell for the oldest trick in book. Life gave us a telescope to see into the misty future, but we have been looking at that future through the wrong end. “It’s over; we’re too late.” Thank you for reading! Thoughts While Shaving is published each Tuesday and Thursday. To subscribe to our newsletter, complete the form below (bottom right) and never miss a Thought! Previous Share Next Do you like what you just read and want to read more Thoughts? Subscribe today for free! Thoughts While Shaving - the official blog of Aletheia Today Magazine. Click here.

< Back Everyday Resurrections: The Divine Pattern of Healing and Transformation Hadassah Treu "Do you know that as a human being created in the image of God, you can experience everyday resurrections as part of God's pattern of healing and transformation?" Do you know that as a human being created in the image of God, you can experience everyday resurrections as part of God's pattern of healing and transformation? God has given us the abilities, the opportunities, and the means to experience new growth, renewal, and transformation in the places marked by death and loss. Jesus Christ is the Risen Lord, the Lord of Resurrection and Redemption, and the Giver of life. If this life flows through us, so does His resurrection power. Daily resurrections are the divine answer to loss and trauma. Life on this earth is a chain of small and big deaths: the death of things, relationships, dreams, and people we deeply treasure. How do we deal with death? How can we overcome it? What is the way God has provided for us? The Divine Pattern of Darkness and Light, Ends and Beginnings Since the beginning of creation, God has implemented a divine pattern of night and day, death and resurrection, destruction and renewal. This is the divine cycle of ends and beginnings, transition, and change. We find this pattern in the first chapter of Genesis. "God called the light 'day,' and the darkness He called 'night.' And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day." (Genesis 1:5, NIV) The first day and all the days after that start with the evening, followed by the night before the morning sun rises. First is the night, and then comes the day. This applies to creation, but it is also true for our lives. A day, a season, or a period starts with darkness: the darkness of physical or emotional pain and suffering in various forms. We go through a dark night of the soul, losing something we value or struggling with rejection, disappointment, doubt, anger, loneliness, and failure. Our hope dwindles, and our joy diminishes. But a new day is coming, for "weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning" (Psalm 30:5, NIV). The Creator of the night and day, the darkness and light, will not withhold His life and mercy from us. Dawn comes right after the darkest hour of the night. The best moments happen when we’ve already given up hope and don't expect anything. Sudden joy rushes through our veins, triggered by a child's smile, a meeting with a stranger, a gentle hug from a friend, the stunning beauty around us, or unexpected good news. Surprised, we can feel joy again. We fill our lungs with the breath of fresh life. We dare to hope again. Perhaps you've lost the hope of building a family of your own. Don’t give up: today may be the day to get acquainted with your future partner. Perhaps your dream of having a successful career as an artist has died. Don’t pull it away from your heart: today can be the day of a new start. Or you've lost hope of seeing a loved one healed and free from addiction or of mending a broken relationship. Don’t stop putting your hope in the God of the Impossible. If He could roll the heavy tombstone and let His life and light shine again in the dark grave, He can do this for you, too. His mercies are new every day, and so are our possibilities to experience the renewal of our souls, bodies, lives, and relationships. Every morning, we open our eyes, resurrected from the "small death" of sleep, to experience God's fresh mercies. Again. The Promise of AGAIN This is the code word of everyday resurrections. God has encoded this word in nature and the recurring seasons, in our making, and in His mighty word. Do you know God gives 15 "again" promises in the Book of Jeremiah, chapter 31? Jeremiah gives these beautiful restoration prophecies immediately before severe disasters befall Israel. Even before death and loss strike, God wants Israel to know that He has a good plan and is working on how to restore the people. He gives them the powerful promise of "again" as a stable foundation of hope for redemption and a good future. The foundation and the guarantee of our daily and eternal resurrections is God's everlasting love: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness." (Jeremiah 31:3, NIV) When we are in the deepest of sorrows, God doesn't abandon us but thinks about how to deliver and restore us. He always has a plan. Here are several promises of restoration and renewal containing the power of "again": • Again, we will be rebuilt. (verses 4, 28, 38)• Again, we will be given comfort and joy instead of sorrow and will be like a well-watered garden. (verses 4, 12, 13)• Again, we will be delivered and redeemed. (verse 11)• Again, we will be satisfied with abundance and God's bounty. (verse 14)• Again, we will be blessed and turned into a blessing. (verse 23)• Again, we will know the Lord on a deeper, intimate level. (verse 34) How Does God Resurrect Us? The first way God brings us to life after experiencing a valley of the shadow of death in our lives is by giving us a roadmap for our future based on His promises. When we take this roadmap to heart and start trusting it, we begin to heal and develop positive expectations for the future. When we let these specific promises speak into our present circumstances, we can start living with the expectancy for God to move and fulfill His promises. The second way God breathes life into our shattered souls is by resurrecting our joy and hope. Joy is the pulse of life. The Holy Spirit hovers over and fills the voids in our souls with fresh joy. This is not a superficial, fleeting joy, but the powerful current of God's love and sovereignty. He draws our attention and opens our eyes to see and behold our eternal, living hope. This enables us to live in the present and what is happening now. We can find the strength to let go of the past and embrace the new life and all the new things God does in the present moment. And by doing so, we heal. And we change. When we focus on the present day, and on God's constant and loving presence, we are ready to receive our daily resurrections because "this is the day which the Lord has brought about; we will rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24, AMPC). Resurrection Is a Transformation Our healing from trauma and loss and the daily renewal of hope and joy are no small miracles. However, the biggest miracle of the resurrection is that God doesn't just bring dead things to life. No, He transforms them in the process, giving them new nature and characteristics. The resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is a powerful example of this. His resurrected body has a completely different nature than His fleshly body. It went through a powerful metamorphosis. Jesus' body was transformed into a heavenly, immortal body with which He could stand on the right side of God. This is what we are looking for at our final resurrection, too. We are longing for our eternal and final transformation. Mortal into immortal. Death into life. Sorrow into joy. Weakness into glory. In God's perfect timing, He will redeem all our deaths and the ultimate death, and shape something new and beautiful from the dust. Till then, we will again experience joy, comfort, satisfaction, blessings, and the most precious thing—a deeper and intimate knowledge of the Lord. Till then, let's count our daily resurrections. Image: Hieronymus Bosch, The Garden of Earthly Delights, oil on oak panels. Museo del Prado, Madrid. Hadassah Treu is an award-winning author of "DRAW NEAR: How Painful Experiences Become the Birthplace of Blessings," poet, speaker, and motivator, author of 2 poetry books, and co-author of 13 devotional and poetry anthologies. She loves encouraging people to draw near to God in the dark valleys of life. She has been featured in The Upper Room, (In)Courage, Proverbs 31 Ministries, Today's Christian Living, and others. Connect with her at onthewaybg.com, and on social media @onthewaybg and @hadassahtreu. Previous Next

What books does the editorial board of Aletheia Today mogazine recommmend? Check out what we're reading this summer. Additional Reading What a re we reading? Check out additional reading about philosophy, theology, science, and culture for young and old alike. For the young and hungry for knowledge... Go to link Go to link Go to link Go to link Go to link Go to link Go to link Go to link Go to link Go to link Go to link Go to link 1/1 For the young at heart and still learning... Go to link Go to link Go to link Go to link Go to link Go to link Go to link Go to link Go to link Go to link Go to link Go to link 1/1