At the Cusp of Forever: The Beginning of the End

Now, this is not the end.  

It is not even the beginning of the end.  

But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.

-- Winston Churchill

Was this the beginning of another moment at the abyss, or was it simply the continuation of another part of my mind's journey in the now? Time is a human construct, as I've said many times.  There was no beginning and there will be no end.  Our reality is an infinite loop.  Our déjà vu is our remembrance of what we have, indeed, experienced; a past which is still our present, and will be our future in a just moment.  Each moment marks the continuation of our infinity.  We are never at the end of something any more than we are at the beginning of something else.  We are, it is, and nothing is easier to comprehend in the "now" than this.

We cannot die as our essence is part of the greater universe.  "Forasmuch as it hath pleased Almighty God of his great mercy to take unto himself the soul of our dear brother here departed, we, therefore, commit his body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall change the body of our low estate that it may be like unto his glorious body, according to the mighty working, whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself."  Some would say these words, from the Book of Common Prayer, are naught but a reminder of our mortality and they would be right, for in this existence we are, in fact, mortal beings at the mercy of our biological environmental suits which allow us to move around this physical plane.  When our suits wear out, however, we return into our original form with more intelligence and experience than when we arrived.  We were created out of the particulate matter of the universe and it is there to which we will return, "dust to dust."

“Time is a created thing. To say 'I don't have time,' is like saying, 'I don't want to.”

― Lao Tzu (???-533 BC), philosopher

With this truth in mind, when someone asks if I'm finished, I can honestly reply that I am never finished, for when one door closes another opens and when one path ends another begins.  Sometimes we find the next door or path are those of our own creation, but they exist, none the less, because nature truly abhors a vacuum even though the unproven concept of a total vacuum, or nothing, only exists in our minds, and our thoughts give existence to that for which there is no proof.  If we choose to do nothing, this is a choice we make to occupy our now.  However, choosing to do nothing, for the sake of nothing, does nothing to enhance our experience in the "now" other than to rest our physical form and allow it to recharge.  "Now" is ever in the moment.  What dreams may come to entertain our restive moments until the next?

We have always been, are now, and forever shall be. We are a part of the universe which existed even before it didn't and will be a part of it when it morphs into something else. God's fear, as stated in Genesis, was that we had become knowledgeable of good and evil. More than this, however, is that we would discover the secret to the immortality for our physical shell and be able to live forever on this plane of existence, which was not the intent of our creator.

“Time is an illusion.”

-- Albert Einstein (1879-1955), theoretical physicist

To everything, there is an end, a new beginning.  One door closes and another opens.  We cannot move forward if we stagnate in one place, sailing around in circles, for an eternity.  If we were to discover immortality for our physical shell, it would only last until we evolved enough to understand the folly of it, at which point we would give it up to continue our journey forward.  We must live in the now because time really has no meaning.  The instant we think of the future we have already arrived at a new "now."  Our concept of a "possible" future may not match the reality of the immediate future which constantly happens between the ticks of our clock, whether we want it to or not.

Is this the beginning of the end, or the end of our beginning? Does an end even exist for us, or is it just a concept to give us some fanciful destination to hope for until we evolve beyond the need for hope and understand our existence was, is, and forever shall be? I don't know, and I don't think anyone truly does. Heaven might simply be a way station along our journey; a moment to understand our practice of morality was right, that our choices garnered the right circumstances. Heaven might be where we are graded on what we have learned and, with this new knowledge, we are drawn inexorably to our next great adventure where we will continue to enjoy everything our God has to offer. There is no "end of the line." For many of us, this journey is winding down and the next journey is ready to begin.
 
All aboard!

“Time is the longest distance between two places.”

-- Tennessee Williams (1911-1983), "The Glass Menagerie"

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as lead Chaplain and Chaplain Program Liaison, at the regional medical center.