My freshman year of college, I attended the University of Kentucky. The first semester, I tried with all my might to love my experience there. But it just didn't happen. By the end of my first semester, I knew that I would be transferring to THE Ohio State University the following year. Though there are other reasons why I left, the main reason was that I missed everything about Columbus. I missed having dinner with my family, going to Mass in the parish I grew up in, and hanging out with my best friends. Columbus was the place where I felt most comfortable, most fulfilled, and most loved. Being at Kentucky even became a slight affliction for me because I longed for Columbus, my home, so much.
I was thinking about this experience as I was listening to an album by Christian musician Phil Wickman. Every song on this particular album, titled "Heaven and Earth", expresses his desire to be in heaven. Just as my heart longed to be at home in Columbus, Phil beautifully portrays his longing for heaven--for our glorious eternal home--with lyrics saying things like “my soul is getting restless for the place where I belong”. He echoes St. Paul's words in Philippians 1:23 in which he says “I long to depart this life and be with Christ, for that is far better”.
The more I read this passage or listen to this song, I recognize that I lack this intense longing for heaven. So often I am completely content with the temporal world in which I am living. But the truth is I was not meant for this world and the deepest longings of my soul point to this reality. My soul thirsts for heaven, but I attempt with great fervor to quench this thirst by consuming the things of this world. And with every consumption and every yes to temptation, I allow this temporal world to rob me of my desire for heaven.
But I am reminded of one of my favorite quotes of all time. This quote is by C.S. Lewis and it says "If I find in myself a desire which nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world". My very being was created for something beyond the things of this world. I was created to spend eternity with the one who fashioned by soul. And because of this fact, my continual pursuit of the temporal only leaves me unsatisfied. But what does this mean for me? How does this impact the way I live my daily life?
If nothing in this world CAN satisfy the deepest longing of my heart, I should seek out that which DOES satifsy. My desire for heaven should be so great that I will do anything to get it. I should desire to transform my life to be congruent to the life preached to me in the Gospel; I should focus my thoughts and actions on the well-being of others more than myself; I should firmly attempt to mirror the life of Christ instead of the life that society tempts me to live.
And so tonight, let us pray to be a people that thirsts for true satisfaction. Let us pray to the Holy Spirit to help us to desire heaven and to point out to us the ways in which we have become enthralled with this passing world. Let us pray that our hearts may be continually restless for our eternal home so we transform our lives so as to reach that prize.
Wow I read this and was stunned. My aunt [Kitty Bauman] directed me to this page, I think the work you do with the youth Ministry, is just awesome we need more people like you.Our children are falling sideways and not having any direction. I have come along ways myself am I perfect christian, NOWAY...I did like and what stuck in my head was when you said"You are made in the image of what you desire" POWERFUL...LOVED IT. You are doing exactly what your suppose to be doing. God Bless :0)
ReplyDelete