Where are you?

[mystic]

"Where are you?" ... does this question sound familiar to you? Well, it's a long time I have it. I use this sentence referring to my promised only one. In my 40 years, I lost somewhat hope, but I still cannot avoid this question completely. Only re-gaining our wholeness, which means a man/woman or family, we can have an identity, know who we are, give a purpose to our life, and especially know God it the fullest way.

It is rather surprising that God uses those same words to refer to us. “But the Lord God called to the man, Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9). We find this after the original sin. Adam and Eve hide, because they feel naked. So, God calls Adam: "Where are you?" Adam answers: "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid".

And God knew at once that they knew good and evil. They entered duality and saw their nakedness.

The same happens in human relations. Sometimes we might have our promised one in front of us... call "where are you?"... and our promised will hide. Maybe that's one of the reasons it is so difficult to recognize him/her. The act of hiding leads to distance, and distance leads out of heaven to a long path of perfecting ourselves, before we can go back again to God. And in practical reality, we find ourselves mistaking, continuing searching for our promised, and never finding him/her.

I think it is important to understand that we are not complete without the other half. Marriage is a gate back to God and the lost paradise. It has to be taken with utmost care, as an opportunity to find the path back to our true home and a superior happiness - the kind that comes only from the Lord.

[Edwin]

That is very interesting, mystic, about God calling to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, "Where art thou? They were hiding because they realized they had sinned, and before sinning they were innocent. God asked them who told them that they were naked. They attempted to make clothes, but God helped them make clothing, and we have been wearing clothing ever since. Some people think it is okay to be seen without clothing, but since God clothed Adam and Eve in the Garden we have been wearing clothing ever since. If we don't we are guilty of indecent exposure!

God called to Adam and Eve in the Garden because He missed their fellowship. He wants to fellowship with us; He desires it, and we need it. We also need fellowship with each other, and that is what you are talking about, I think, mystic. We call to each other, "Where art thou?" You are right about us not being complete without each other. We need each other!

[mystic]

The concept of nakedness in the Bible can refer to various things, not just the physical body. So, we could talk of a nakedness (simplicity) of the heart, or a veiled, hidden heart.

We know that the holy people "undress" the holy organ (Brit Milah, circumcision), but there is also an "undressing of the heart" (Brit Ha-Lev, circumcision of the heart).

It seems that unveiling our heart instead of hiding it has a special meaning.

[Edwin]

Carol said that her girl friends in school used to say a nursery rhrymn, only they changed it a bit for a little humor. It was, the changed form anyway, "Old mother Hubbard, went to the cupboard to get her poor dog a bone, when she got there, the cupboard was bare, and so was old mother Hubbard, I guess!"

You are right mystic that sometimes being naked does not mean you are not wearing any clothes. We talk about the "naked eye," meaning that we are not wearing glasses, or we are not looking through bonoculars or a telescope, or microscrope. "Naked we came into this world and naked we go out," means that we didn't have any possessions on entering the world at birth, and we leave without our possessions as well! But the Pharaoes tried to take things with them. My uncle was buried with his western hat. He wasn't much of a cowboy in the sense of rodeoing and the western scene, he was one of the largest ranching operators in this area. But in his casket his family wanted him to have that image. People are buried in cars, have motorcylces buried with them, and all sorts of other things. Carol's uncle had strong faith in God and accepted Jesus as his savior and lived a Christian life for many years. He was buried with his Bible at the suggestion of our youngest daughter.

Revelation 3: 17; Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and misesrable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18; I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye saive, that thou mayest see."


These people to whom Jesus was giving that message were wearing clothing, but they were blind in another way, spiritually. They had no concept of what God required of them.

These messages of Jesus to the churches is where we get the image of Him standing at our heart's door and knocking, hoping that we will invite Him in. 20: "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man or woman hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Jesus will not only have supper with us, is what the word means, but He will commune and fellowship with us! What greater thing can we have but to have fellowship with Jesus."

[lyrehc]

The concept of nakedness in the Bible can refer to various things, not just the physical body. So, we could talk of a nakedness (simplicity) of the heart, or a veiled, hidden heart.

We know that the holy people "undress" the holy organ (Brit Milah, circumcision), but there is also an "undressing of the heart" (Brit Ha-Lev, circumcision of the heart).

It seems that unveiling our heart instead of hiding it has a special meaning.

how fantastic....mystic are you a pastor??? when i read this it confuse me but then i found my self reading your work a very interesting one, where are you??? its like God is calling out my name out loud and thinking that im hiding from him because of my sin, thinking that i'm afraid he will hate me for doing things he doesnt like.... it's like someone is holding my heart and im really scare to face him....

[mystic]

Lyrehc, I'm happy you enjoyed my posts. I am an Italian interfaith Rabbi, so my view on things is a little different. Since we are in a Christian forum and we have a good Pastor here, Ed, I suggest you address to him your worries and troubles. I'm sure he can give you the best advice.

As for my two pennies thought, the skin of one's hands becomes rough and thickens with lot of manual work. The same happens with our heart. Wrong choices, wrongdoings, etc., harden our heart and this produces a sort of veil. We start to hide, to avoid being hurt, and we become hostage of our past, or our sin, as you wish to say.

This has a lot to do with free will. Somebody thinks that our free will allows us to chose and do the right things in our life, and that our choices can change our destiny and have an effect on the events. From Jewish thinking, free will has no effect on events. You cannot change destiny. If something is written, it will happen anyway and you can do nothing about it. So, where is free will? That's in you. You cannot modify the events, but you can decide how you will live them (with a good or bad attitude). You can decide to fight to keep the inner spark and purity of your heart always shining and bright. Or you can veil your heart, give it to your fears, hide it, etc. That's free will in my idea. We will be judged for how we react emotionally and mentally to events, not for the events themselves.

So you just have to decide whether you want to allow the Dark Side to take power on your heart, instilling in you feelings of scare, sin, etc. It seems hard, but it is just a decision. If you give no place to the Dark Side to attach to you, then you can concentrate on allowing the light in your heart to shine.

[Edwin]

My Dad said that there are two dogs. One dog is white representing truth, good, and righteousness, and the other dog is black representing evil. Now, while dogs are not necessarily good and black dogs bad, but it is an illustration. Which ever dog you say sic um to, that is the dog that will win. If you give yourselve to evil, evil will triumph in your life. If you give yourself to righteousness, then good will triumph in your life.

God loves you and me, and all of us. He is ready, willing, and wanting to forgive sin. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins. God puts our sins in the sea of his forgetfulness, and He does not remember them against us, ever, so if God doesn't remember our sins, then we shouldn't remember our sins either. God does not hold them against us, and He want us to have a fresh start and to do good and live for Him!

[lyrehc]

How interesting it is to be in this forum we can be our self and everyone is your friend here.

[Edwin]

You are so right, lyrehc, and this is a very friendly place. As far as I know everyone here likes everyone else here, and that is the beauty of this place. When you can be yourself, put on no fronts, and everyone likes you that is great!

[crisipicada]

The most wonderful thing that happened to me, was when the Lord found me. He was and is looking to us, "Where are you?". The Lord is so good that He did willing to give His life on the cross to pay our sins.