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It has become apparent to me that there is a flaw in a great amount of Christianity that is sold to us today in the US and in the way people ‘believe’.  Namely, that simply ‘believing’ in God/the infinite love of God is enough. Many people ‘believe’ in God the same way I ‘believe’ in Morgan Freeman. I can know with 100% certainty that he exists and even seen all his works and read all his books. But as Christians, we are called to much, much more than that. This ‘belief’ alone is not enough. If I show up at his door, would Morgan Freeman, or Christ, know who I am?

As Jesus himself warns us many, many times:

“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.’ Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” -Matthew 7

Again, we hear about the wise and foolish virgins:

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ² Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. ³ Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, ⁴ but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. ⁵ But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

⁶ “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ ⁷ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. ¹¹ “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ ¹² But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’” – Matthew 25

It is not enough to walk around believing we are followers or preaching just the infinite love of God while ignoring his commandment to complete conversion, abandonment of self, and to accompany him on the way each day. Instead, many of us follow our own ways: feeling smug and secure with that idea of infinite love in our ‘back pocket’ as it were and going through the motions of Church/etc each week. Instead, we must fully embrace that infinite love. We fall in love and embrace a relationship with our living God by daily prayer in which we spend time with our beloved. We share our deepest self and deepest desires. We then let ourselves be shown our true selves, have our desires purified as needed, and embrace the commandment to die utterly to ourselves, pick up our cross, embrace God’s will in our life as Christ did, and be utterly converted. To preach one without the other leaves people unprepared as the foolish bridegrooms or the workers of great deeds with no love of God.

Instead, if we seek always complete abandonment and conversion as God has asked, we find ourselves at that moment on our knees as Jesus says:

So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say,
‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’ – Luke 17

Do not sleepwalk through your life and relationship with God. Be awakened today – for conversion is a lifelong process. Asking at the end will be too late – as Christ himself tells us. One we can only ask for the grace to see through to the end. THIS is the day in which to be embraced by his infinite love. Turn now and pray with all your sins and failings for forgiveness AND conversion of heart. The infinitely loving God is ready to embrace the prodigal son with all the infinite love and open arms that we hear about, but then entrench yourself anew in the work of your conversion without delay. For the key to salvation is to remain in that love.

Epiphany – N. a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something (2) : an intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking (3) : an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure

The arrival of the wise astrologers from the east in many countries is more traditionally the time to exchange gifts (instead of Christmas day). Many places around the world dress 3 children as the astrologers and they proceed through a town blessing houses as they go. (I’ll be blessing my door later today).