FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2023 - SPIRITUAL CINDERELLA

 FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2023, CINDERELLA???

On Friday I write about spiritual things (from my viewpoint).

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I’ve been picturing the Fairy Godmother in the Disney movie “Cinderella” in my brain.  She has a magic wand. She appears in the garden and transforms Cinderella’s appearance for the ball. She transforms the mice into horses, Bruno the dog into a footman, Major the horse into a coachman, a pumpkin into the carriage, and transforms her torn dress into a beautiful silver dress with glass slippers. Cinderella departs for the ball after the Fairy Godmother warns her that the spell will expire at the stroke of midnight.

She sings her magic words “Salagadoola, mechika boola, bibbidi bobbidi boo!”- and <poof> the magic happens.

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I’ve been thinking of an infinite, loving, perfect God.  No, God (He/She/It/The Force/Ahh) - doesn’t have a magic wand but a magic tongue. In Genesis 1, we have “And God said” (and it happened).  (And to be honest, I’m not sure that was really how it happened).  But the concept is that God - the infinite somehow made these planets, all the other planets, stars, galaxies, everything.  

The Gospel of John starts: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” and a little later “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”

This infinite, loving, perfect God can instantly change anything.  In Luke 19, Jesus is being rebuked for cheering followers as He rode into town and said ““I tell you if they keep quiet, the very stones will cry out.”

Jesus said things like “Your sins are forgiven”; or “Today you will be with me in paradise” (to one of the criminals next to him).

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While I’m not going into the “name-it, claim-it” Gospel of “Ask and you will receive”, I am depicting a God that can instantly create, change, pretty much anything.  (And, seemingly for both good and evil).  “God hardened Pharaoh's heart.” 

So, in a nutshell, can God say “Well done, good and faithful servant” to a Muslim? A Hindu? A Mormon? A Jehovah’s Witness?  Adolf Hitler?  (All of whom seemingly are out of the reach of God).

Can almighty, ever living, ever loving, GOD - change hearts?  Of course, He/She/It can.  Christians follow the concept from John chapter 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 

God can “magically” (I don’t like using that word) change people so that all can come to the Father through Jesus. John 3:3 says, “You must be born again”.  Can God “magically” (again using a word that doesn’t really meet the real infinite power of God) cause a stubborn heart to change?  

God smacked Saul (who was later Paul) on the way to Damascus.  God smacked me (multiple times).  Maybe God has touched you in a supernatural way.  

Yes, I am a Christian - I read (and know) a lot of the Judeo-Christian scriptures (and in this blog I (probably too frequently) quote them.  But is God also the God of the University and the God of the Muslims, Hindus, Mormons, etc., etc.? 

And, while I am not familiar with the other religions, I suppose that they don’t accept the Judeo-Christian viewpoint of God - but have their own views of creation.

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In particular, today I’m thinking of the afterlife - the “here after”.  Does Heaven have people from other than Jewish and Christian backgrounds?  I don’t know - but I am assuming a perfect, infinite, ever loving God can populate Heaven however He/She/It wants to.  I can’t say anybody IS or IS NOT going to Heaven.  That’s God’s call.  If God wants Mohammed or Buddha or <whoever> in Heaven, it is done.  

Is there an “unforgivable sin”?  Matthew 12:31 says “And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. “I don’t know what exactly that is.  

So, today, God is NOT like Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother - but the Fairy Godmother does good things when she says her magical words and waves her magic wand.  But her magic only lasted until midnight.  God is eternal, infinite, all merciful, all loving.  His “magic” lasts forever.  

And, can His “magic” apply to all people?  I don’t know, but my guess is that an all-loving God can do whatever He/She/It/Ahh wants.  (After all, the latest estimate is over 8 trillion galaxies, with many, many stars in each galaxy - and who knows how many planets)

My friend PM suggests that hell might be empty.  I don’t know, but I believe in a merciful and loving God.

God be merciful to me, a sinner!!!

LOVE WINS

LOVE TRANSFORMS

KAREN ANNE WHITE, ©, MAY 19, 2023

Two humor comments:

God is a baseball fan.  Yes, in the very first chapter in the Bible talks about “in the big inning.”

I’ve been spiritual.  I wander into the kitchen and ask myself “What am I ‘here after.”