‘Fools say to themselves, ‘There is
no God.’ Psalm 14:1
Recently a friend of my tells his story: ‘I was walking in a
crowded street when I saw a young man with an intriguing and captivating
message boldly inscribed on his white T-shirt, which reads IT’S ALL ABOUT
ME’. This declaration sounded like the motto of our modern world that
has become destructively self-centred. However, for us Christians, the
statement is simply not true. It is not all about us – IT IS ALL ABOUT
GOD! There is in the heart of Christians every where a deepening desire to know more and more of God. Knowing
God is the greatest goal we can have in
life. Our knowledge and intimacy with Him should be our greatest and most
rewarding pursuit. Once we put God where He belong at the centre of our life,
then every other thing falls in place.
In his reflection book Every Day with Jesus, Selwyn
Hughes reveals how one man wrote to him and said: ‘Something inside me longs to
know more about my Creator. Can you show me how this hunger can be satisfied?’ I
think he is not alone in this as there are multitude of Christians throughout
the world who share this man’s feelings and hunger. I can tell you from
experience that knowing God means you will be satisfied with an unsatisfied
satisfaction. Surely, when you bow low
at God’s feet, you can stand straight before anything else and stand tallest. Humankind
is made from dust, and we are totally dependent on God for our existence and
survival. As Christians, our final allegiance is to God. We would think best
when we think with God because He is more than a match for all that is against
us. The profound sense of God’s presence can melt our hearts and uplift us. To
know Him is the greatest goal a man or woman can have. This is the wisdom
greater than any mind can measure. God is the God of the extraordinary,
let not our attitudes limit His power and settle for the ordinary, when He
desires to give us the extraordinary.
Flor McCarthy S.D.B tells a story in his book on Sunday and
Holy Day Liturgies: Peter was forty years old and was a school principal. He
was highly qualified and doing a good job. He had a happy marriage and enjoyed
a generous portion of the so-called ‘good things of life’. Yet, this was the
man who one day came to the master asking if he could talk to him. ‘There is
something missing in my life and I don’t know what it is.’ Peter began. ‘I feel
an emptiness inside me. When I started out I believed that if I achieved what I
have achieved, I would be radiantly happy. But it hasn’t worked out like that.
There is still something missing in my life, but I don’t know what it is.’ ‘You
are a lucky man’ the master replied. ‘Lucky?’ How can you say such a thing? I
feel so unhappy inside myself.’ Said Peter. ‘You are a lucky man because you
are being called to something deeper’ the master answered. ‘Something deeper?
What do you mean?’
‘Well from the material point of view your life has been very
successful. You have achieved all the goals you have set yourself. As a result
you slipped into a rut, a rut of contentment, and that is not good. Contentment
– the total satisfaction of one’s material desires – kills off all spiritual
striving… What you are really experiencing is hunger. ‘Hunger?’ said Peter. I
don’t understand… You are experiencing spiritual hunger – the hunger for God –
the hunger of the heart and of the spirit. To experience this hunger is
blessing, not a misfortune. Only God can satisfy this hunger.
Today, we are connected with the rest of the world via the Facebook,
Twitter, Texting, Internet, smart phones. All these gives us access to friends,
family, work and the world. But the vital question is how well are we connected
to God? What can of relationship do we have with our God? How much effort do we
invest in connecting with God? We all have an association with God, whether it
is acknowledged or not. It is a pity that majority of people in this world have
no idea who their Creator is.
In conclusion, as human beings we generally desire a deep
spiritual longing with God, and hunger for a peaceful and meaningful universe. But
our life without God would be doomed to perpetual state of restlessness,
anxiety, uncertainty and nervous disorders that are so common in the modern
society. In his book, ‘God Has a Dream, a Vision of Hope for our Time’,
Desmond Tutu, Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, South Africa tells a story of a
Priest in Russia who was accosted by a brash young Physicist who had every
reason for atheism and arrogantly concluded; “Therefore, I do not believe
in God.” Oh, it doesn’t matter. God believes in you!” the priest
replied. Yes, we are uniquely important and God does believe in us, and
relies on us to help make the world a better place to live. We
desperately need Him and we must remain connected to Him to transform the
world. Life is all about God. Knowing and enjoying Him is our greatest
goal. Enjoy God today!
Rev. Fr. Michael Adefemi Adegbola, Director Media Service
Centre Kaduna Nigeria, 2012
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