treasures in heaven – Roberta Writes

Finding an old acquaintance

Last week I was reminded of the great poet John Donne. My experience of his work was narrow. A few sonnets and poems covered in entry level anthologies. I remember loving his visual imagery and use of metaphors. It was a fleeting introduction. I didn’t study any of his works after that.

I moved on to study other great writers. In fact, I was so unaware that I didn’t know he had a body of sermons and meditations. I was so ignorant that I thought the phrase “for whom the bell tolls,” was a title of a Hemingway novel. That is true, but he got it from somewhere – John Donne.

I was listening to this recording on YouTube. At one point in this reading John Donne makes a comparison. Imagine you own gold or silver bullion but are not able to use it because it’s not shaped in the currency of the lands in which you are traveling. He then suggests that suffering is the same. It’s value does not get paid out in earthly currency. We start to understand its real value as we get closer to our real home.

This is such a stunning metaphor. I guess it goes back to the “storing up our treasures in heaven” idea. But with a twist. I love that our suffering isn’t pointless. This has been one of the biggest myths created by the materialist. We live, we suffer, we die. No purpose to any of it. Nature and evolution march on.

If this is true, then the suffering of man is of the greatest evil. The gazelle in the savanna dies a horrible death at the hands of the pride of lions. But, her death feeds that family and allows them to continue on, there is a purpose. Man is not afforded that if there is no afterlife, no reward for suffering.

Take some time and listen to this, it is worth the time.

John Donne ‎– Sermons And Meditations (1956) Caedmon ‎– TC 1051 – YouTube

Why beauty?

For me, one of the biggest arguments against the materialist world view, is beauty. If everything on earth has a materialist purpose then why is there so much beauty?

Yes, they claim beautiful coloured flowers attract the insects and in doing so propagate themselves. Or a male birds beautiful plumage will ensure he is the one to mate. But much of the surrounding beauty is gratuitous. The flower could attract the insects by its bright colour, so why the lovely smell? Why the beautiful shape? The bird may attract a mate by his physical beauty, but why does the female have such a beautiful song in return? Or why are the eggs so perfect in shape and colour?

Why are you left with a sense of yearning and awe at the top of a mountain, as you view the great vista below?

If music has some materialistic role, why Mozart or Beethoven? Is that not overkill?

Or, is the beauty in art, music and nature a glimpse, a promise of what is to come?

There are times in this great and awe-inspiring world around us where we can see the shadow of heaven. A slice, a moment, a fleeting glance at something we don’t understand and yet yearn to achieve. An insight that gives us a glimpse of something that is more our real home than we know. If we could reach it, we would comprehend everything.

Beauty is a foretaste of heaven. God’s hand has placed reminders of his greatness. Our pursuit of the beautiful is an instinct that draws us closer to him.

Brother James’ Air (“The Lord’s My Shepherd”) – Words from Psalm 23 – YouTube

Treasures on earth

I had a visit with my mom today about all the stuff she has accumulated! A lifetime of gifts, purchases, things; some have monetary value, some have sentimental value, some have neither (like her weird little spoon collection). We talked about people who came before us and what they left us and why it matters.

I have a few tokens, gifts, and heirlooms that I treasure because of the people that gave them to me. I know I can’t carry them forward to my next life and they may not mean anything to my children. But I still have them, and I still treasure them. The blanket my Grandmother made for my mom when I was a child, is the bedcover in our spare room. The book my Grandfather gave me when I graduated is in my bookshelf. His mother gave it to him when he finished grade ten. He was the first of his siblings to get that far in his education.

We landed on the importance of the photos. The photos tell the stories of our families. They show the connections, the faces, the relationships. These are the most important things to carry forward.

Whether it is through photos or a precious treasure, I can remember and think of my loved ones and that gives me comfort. I know one day I will see them again.

My family history gives me a framework to build my life. It creates a structure around which I can build my own identity. I am extremely blessed that this history is one of faith, dedication, suffering and love. I want my children to share in this history. I want them to build their own characters in the shadow of the people that came before them.

So yes, its lovely to have physical possessions. Things that I can look at and handle that remind me of the people I have loved. But the stories and shared history… these are the building blocks of my life.

Matthew 6: 19 – 21 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin
do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.