Letter to Art

To my old friend, Arthur D. Zee
Dear Art,

Letter-writing is so easy today, isn’t it? We have tools -- computers, word processors, and even the availability of an on-line thesaurus, and an on-line rhyming dictionary, -- maybe even “old fashioned” pen and paper, if one is so inclined!

But I fear that letter-writing is a lost art, or very close to it. We all get so busy, that even if we think of writing to a friend, it’s just too easy to “put it off,” isn’t it? That has happened to me – it’s been over a month since I received the last letter from you. Several times I’ve intended to reply, but just couldn’t find one of those little yellow disks that I’ve heard so much about -- a “round tuit”! (Note: Previous letters in this series can be found on the blog by going to “Previous Posts”).

Now I wonder, Art, what you have been doing recently for enjoyment? Have you done more traveling, or planned a new career? Have you found a good book to read, or gone to a symphony concert? Speaking of traveling, my wife and I took the opportunity to travel across these continental United States, and back. What a wonderful trip! The scenery was terrific. One of our favorite places was Bryce Canyon, to the north of the Grand Canyon. Spectacular views! And then I remember photographing Pike’s peak from the parking lot of a restaurant one day – amazing!

You raised an interesting question, Art, when you seemed to look askance at “relying on somebody else for a payment on our behalf.” I believe that you had in mind the teaching of the Bible that you and I could never in the world do enough, or live so perfectly, that to be fair, God would have to take us to Heaven on our own merits. Did I understand you correctly, Art?

You know, my friend, the Bible does make it clear that since you and I could never save ourselves from eternal ruin by our own efforts, God took upon Himself the initiative to procure our redemption. It is perfectly clear from His Book that He created us for a purpose, expressed in a plan that He knew would be best and most fulfilling for each one of us over the long haul. And He loved us enough, that He was willing to expend an astronomical sum to rescue us, thereby procuring our redemption, in spite of our own rash rejection of Him and His plan for our lives. Such rejection as this is very, very common.

But to live forever, in the presence of God, delighting in His boundless love and goodness, and enjoying unlimited gifts from Him, -- what a tremendous prospect that is! When I write about “eternal life,” I may scare you – don’t mean to do that! Perhaps you object, that it’s really too long for us to comprehend. And, besides, the way our bodies age, being subject to an increasing barrage of aches, pains and disease, we may not have a very great interest in anticipating an endless array of a life like that!

However, “eternal life” doesn’t mean an unending existence in this present human body, with its aches, pains, and other vulnerabilities. The body will die eventually, but the human person is much more than that, and what will happen to the immaterial side of a man or woman – the soul and spirit?

Apart from this wonderful redemption, so that we could be in His presence and thoroughly enjoy it forever, we would have no better prospect than endless loneliness, regret, meaninglessness and despair. And it would be filled with emptiness, -- it would be hollow, pointless and full of grief – all associated with great pain. Personally, Art, I don’t look forward to any such litany of futility. And I don’t think you do, either. But, the six million dollar question is, -- How does one avoid that?

What I have written above assumes, and I believe this to be true, that every human life is precious to God. He is that big! He has unlimited capacity to love and care for the people He has created, who live in every corner of the globe. And He desires each person to be on the best of terms with Him. No matter what his or her name is, whether Jack, Sarah, Todd, Nancy, William, Carol, Sam, Tina, Hank, Joanne, Dick, Rose, or…, God loves each one, and wants us all to be close to Him, and in harmony with Him.

In other words, He wants you and me to have a personal relationship with Him. If it is true that He is our Creator, and it is, and that He loves each one of us supremely, as the Bible says, and He does, then we can be sure that whatever He wants for you and me, is much, much better than our best plans can ever be. There’s an old quotation I’ve heard in the past, and it goes like this, “The chief end of man is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” What a great thought that is!

When I say “personal relationship” I’m thinking of something much different from religion. There are many different religions available to ordinary human beings like us! But the very idea of “religion” is built on a structure of work, self-help, positive mental attitude, individual reformation, etc. That seems entirely too impersonal, -- and far removed from any thought of “enjoying” God.

Some temporal good, of course, can be done through self-help, and certainly there is a wide array of higher education that can be beneficial to a human being, up to a point. But as good as these may be in the short run, what do they give to us that is really worthwhile, if we are not led to a right relationship with God, our Creator? God is truly personal, and He has a direct interest in each one of us. In fact, He made us to be personal beings, not robots, or mere mechanical machines. Doesn’t this make sense to you, Art?

The plan that our great Creator-God devised for our rescue from oblivion, -- the plan that would fit our individual need perfectly, involved a substitute, i.e. it required one who would “take the fall” for us in our disconnectedness from God. That way, you and I could be free to come close to God and receive an authorization to participate in His own [divine] life.

This substitute had to be able to “stand in” for many people, i.e. as many as would be willing to say “yes,” agreeing to the substitution for him or her. And the substitute also had to be suitable to us human beings. No animal or bird could begin to qualify in that way, -- no sheep, goat, ox, dove, bull, or whatever it might be. These two tests require a substitute who is both God and man. Only God could provide a sacrifice big enough for all human beings of all time who would fulfill the faith-condition. And only a man (i.e. a human being) could provide a sacrifice suitable for us human beings.

Now you may follow this reasoning, but still you may be wondering: Why does the divine plan for our redemption require a substitute? Why can’t we, each one, just take care of our own destiny? The answer to that is, -- the alienation from God from which all of us human beings suffer every day, must be overcome, if we are to be in harmony with God. There is not enough money in all the world, to buy our redemption. And you know, Art, you and I could never work hard enough to overcome the ways in which we have offended God, never in a million years! My preaching ministry won’t do it, and your business acumen won’t, either – no offence meant at all!

Because of this, a substitute is called for, if one who is adequate can be found! May I be so bold as to say that one has been found? It’s the one described in that famous Bible verse John 3:16 as God’s “only begotten son.” Art, I have taken this substitute as my own substitute, personally. And I hope you will consider making the same move, if you haven’t done so!

With warm regards to you and your family,
-- PapaPops

P.S. To the reader – If you’d like to see previous letters between my friend and me, just go to the bottom of the screen and click on “Older Posts.” You may have to repeat this process, to get back to the first “Open Letter,” posted on or about July 29, 2007.

My Old Friend Art's Second Reply...

Dear PapaPops,
To go to my mailbox and get a letter from you as I did recently can really “make my day,” as someone famous once said! You are thoughtful, and I can see in your writing a genuine desire to impart a “new lease on life” to one who might be interested. You didn’t know what sort of reaction you would get from me when you first wrote, but you didn’t let that hold you back!

Now I really never thought of you as indulging in “wishful thinking,” but I do have to admit that what you tell me from the Bible has been pretty far removed from my own concerns. And I don’t know that I’m ready yet to go in that direction.

However, I don’t mind asking whether there is still hope for me – to have a greater purpose in living than I have had, and to have real assurance about life beyond the grave? How could I, or anyone, for that matter, come to believe that there really is a fantastic life beyond the grave? How could a person such as I be sure of having a “ticket” to that “wonderful life,” which you called it in your “Open Letter” to me?

PapaPops, I surely do appreciate your expressions of interest in me and my family. But how does it happen that you could have that sort of interest in one you simply call “an old and dear friend?” You and I haven’t visited together for many years; we haven’t gone fishing or hiking together; we haven’t attended a sports event together; or anything similar! Pardon me for questioning your motives, if that’s what it is. However, I do wonder WHY you seem interested in ME!

PapaPops, to continue our previous exchange of thoughts about life on Planet earth, so many people who think about earth’s origins, just seem to accept blindly an evolutionary hypothesis. That’s the environment in which I’ve lived and pursued business and community service. However, I can’t help but look up at the heavens on a starry night, or hear the booming roar of a great waterfall and see its majestic beauty, or see a majestic mountain top, without wondering, -- how could all this beauty and power have “just happened?” Interesting to contemplate, isn’t it?

But now, perhaps it’s most important for me to think about my own purpose and destiny, in addition to admiring the beauties of creation around us. I know you are concerned, and I don’t mean to treat your concern lightly. You have been respectful toward my business career, as well as other careers that are not part of the Gospel ministry, and I appreciate that. Many people who are friends of mine are involved in them.

Didn’t you present the thought that any career that is honest, ethical, and helpful to other human beings could be called “good?” And I do seem to remember at Sunday School, when I attended many years ago, hearing about people that God or His leaders designated to be musicians, builders, designers, manufacturers, etc. If that was a part of God’s plan back in those times, I suppose it could be considered so today, too. Agreed?

Before I close this letter, PapaPops, I’d like to ask you again about that favorite Bible verse of yours, called John 3:16. I think you designated it as, “The Gospel in a Nutshell.” What exactly do you mean by that? Is it a condensation, or a summary of certain parts and stories of the Bible? Or would you call it symbolic of something? Explain, please. That verse does have a great ring to it, doesn’t it?

What about the “solid hope” that you wrote about? I do admire the way you seem to be clearly “steering by the stars” so to speak, in your assessment of the satisfaction that life can bring here and now. My life has been given to me to live, and to no one else, so why shouldn’t I look for all the pleasure that I can get? Why shouldn’t I consider that “I am the Master of my fate…I am the Captain of my soul,” as the old and well-known poem “Invictus” expresses it?

Until we write again….
Art

To the reader: If you have not followed my exchange of letters with my old friend Art, but would like to see what has preceded this present letter, just scroll down, and click on "Older Posts." You may have to do this several times before getting to the earlies letter (posted on or about 7-29-07).
-- PP

A Reply to Art, My Old Friend

Dear Art,
Thank you so much for your reply to my Open Letter to you. Isn’t this amazing?!? Most people don’t write letters much now, but here we are sending off these missives to each other!

Hearing from you again felt like old times! We surely have taken diverse paths in many ways, but I still have a warmth in my heart for you, an old and dear friend. I am interested in you, your family, and your prospects for the future. I hope you can sense my sincerity in saying that, – I wouldn’t kid you in something like this.

To comment on your assertion that Earth is an amazing place, I heartily agree. And it takes us a good part of our lives to fully appreciate that, doesn’t it, if indeed, we can ever FULLY do! To me, Planet Earth is part of the rich, harmonious, multi-faceted provision of our great Creator God, for the use of mankind for as long as it pleases Him.

It sustains life in part because of the precision of its size, shape, distance from the sun, and its tilt and rotation, as well as the abundance of natural resources and the variety and complexity of plant and animal life, marine life, etc. But one of the most amazing aspects is the high degree to which it is suited for the habitation of mankind!

Art, my work in the ministry involves helping people in all the ways envisioned in the love that God has for mankind, as expressed so beautifully in John 3:16. Do you remember that Scripture verse? It has often been called “The Gospel in a Nutshell,” and it reads, “For God so loved the world [men, women, boys, and girls everywhere] that He gave His only [i.e. His Uniquely-begotten] Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have [now] everlasting life.”

You congratulated me in the work I’ve been able to do, and I thank you for that. What matters most to me every day is this, -- I want to know and do the will of Almighty God more and more perfectly in the few short years that I may have left here on earth. And I aim to help others find that kind of meaning in their lives, too, as much as possible.

Art, I don’t mean to boast in any way about the value of the work that I’ve been able to do, in comparison to your business career. In reply to your comment that perhaps my work has been more valuable in life than what you have done, I wouldn’t make that kind of a comparison.

The work of the Pastor, Bible teacher, and Missionary, i.e. those involved in the so-called “full-time” ministry of the Gospel is very important in the eternal scheme of things. But all types of work that are wholesome, above-board and ethical in every way are also of great importance and value. Where would we be without manufacturers, distributors, medical people, inventors, accountants, retail personnel, musicians, and a host of others? As I like to think of it (in the words of Scripture), “whether you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God!”

So I applaud you in the business role that you have played in your working career. I would like to think that you have aimed day by day, in the office, or in the client’s place of commerce, to seek for God’s plan, and to carry on your business as a trustee of God’s provisions. All that we are and have has come from Him. And it seems to me that it ought to be handled in ways that please Him, and further His plan for our lives. Is that your idea, too, my friend?

Now you wrote some of your thoughts and feelings about getting older and losing strength and mental sharpness perhaps, and all the downside aspects that any one may experience due to aging. And you said that you don’t like to think about that more than necessary. Then your question to me was, “Do you?”

No, I’d have to admit that I don’t relish that thought at all. On the other hand, I think I’m a realist about this, too. We were all born as babies, perfect but completely immature, so that everything has to be done for us at first. It seems reasonable that toward the end of life here on earth, much might have to be done for us also, since we are losing the strength and skills we were “building up” as we grew from infancy.

Perhaps you may think, “Oh I just want to keep a good healthy walk throughout life, and then expire peacefully in my sleep.” But, Art, my friend, we all know that no one can consider that to be a guaranteed prospect! What will make our last days on earth more tolerable is, -- if we know where we are going at death, and that we will be part of a Grand Re-union someday. That fills my heart with joy, in the face of all the heartaches and sorrows to which we can be subject here on Planet Earth.

And yes, the sort of “solid hope” that you asked about IS possible, Art. I wouldn’t lead you astray about that, for the world! My basis for writing as I do is not wishful thinking. It goes to the heart of the one and only Book that our great Creator God has given us as His “Divine Owner’s Manual,” the Bible.

Friend Art, I’m going to risk doing a little probing at this point: Have you spent some time in your own life with this Book, looking for answers to life’s most important questions? Personally, I have found answers in it that are truly satisfying. And I believe that you could find them there, too. Please know that I don’t speak with any sense of superior attainment on my part, but only with the desire to depend humbly on the Lord my God for wisdom as to how I can be of the greatest encouragement to you. I have received so-o-o much from the Lord throughout my years, and now I want to pass it on to you, if you are willing!

Well, it’s now time to “sign off.” I look forward to your return thoughts.
Sincerely, -- PapaPops

Day Lily views, and an Open Letter

Day Lily, bold but very delicate -- with thanks to our friend Bob in Plimoth, ME!