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٢٩‏/٨‏/٢٠١٧ Fiat Lux | أنطوانيت نمّور

What way have you chosen?

Many of us nowadays believe that God’s kingdom is governed on democracy!!!

BUT, THAT IS NOT TOTALLY ACCURATE!! 

Cause if this was true then the right way to heaven would be that of the majority!!!

Democracy…

It originated from Ancient Greece as a purely human invention. Its “beauty” is that it blossoms on popular views taken by the majority... however; this is not how God thinks or fixes His plans. No wonder the scripture says that His ways and approaches differ from man’s (Isaiah 55:8). The All-knowing does not accomplish things accordingly with our “short-sighted” views, even if these are applauded by the majority. In His sovereign love and mercy, the road He requires for our salvation may not be pleasing to the popular view… But true to His nature, God alone determines what He does; how it is done and who benefits… Yes, He respects our free choice to choose His ways or otherwise… but it is not up to us to determine “the way of salvation” and who should enter or stay outside!! And for this latter: Thank goodness for God’s “undemocratic taste”!! For He invites everyone, no matter what the world thinks …People may feel that some are not worthy for that blessing or breakthrough. But God, who consults no one on who to bless, locate those for a lifting in Jesus’ name!!!

But still. The Lord’s question remains: “would you choose my “unpopular way”??

On display at the Museum of Biblical Art in Dallas, TX : A significant artwork named “the Narrow Gate”  recalls the request in Matthew 7:13 – “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.”

We can easily distinguish the eyes of the Lord cutting deep into the soul, conveying the message “I am the way and the truth and the life…” The light is bursting out of the gate… The contemporary surrealistic and meta-realistic artist Victor Bregeda, reminds the viewer: “New life is a precious divine gift, but we must cross the narrow way to obtain it.”!

While some Christians may wrongly convey a “private and superior attitude”, nonetheless Jesus, humbly but firmly, made it clear that there are only 2 gates, only 2 paths, before every man, and each of us must choose one or the other. This may seem odd to some: for many believe that men are confronted with a nearly infinite number of alternatives … And because of this dilemma, many have concluded that “all roads lead to heaven” and it matters little which one we would choose. But, Jesus narrows our choices to only two: His way and all other ways!! His way (where He- God- is reaching down to man), and all other ways… (Even those resting upon “man’s work for God”); 

The narrow way which leads to eternal life is Jesus Himself. “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me” He says in (John 14:6)…. And “Truth is not determined by a majority vote. “As Pope Benedict XVI once said…

So!!

What way have you chosen?? Is the crucial question we all have to face! Our eternal destiny hangs upon this choice between two alternatives:

Are we going to “lean on our own understanding” to keep our pride, possessions, and preferences? Or are we willing to trust this “undemocratic” God – maker of salvation- who has a long record with turning “Saul”(s) to “Paul”(s)???