I think I had a religious experience today. No, not one of those incense-burning, angels singing, somber religious experiences. Mine was pure joy. It went something like this....
I was driving along the street in Flower Mound, under the watchful eye of the police, who patrol night and day for wanton criminals driving 41 in a 40 mph zone. I had stopped behind the cars at the red light, and began killing time by looking all around me. I noticed the first car in line had a very reflective back window, and I could see large, puffy white clouds dancing across it. The second vehicle was a motorcycle, and I could see those same puffy white clouds in its rearview mirror. Then I looked up, wanting to see the original version, and saw the most amazing huge clouds, billowing across the sky. They covered the entire sky, dancing this way and that.
To fully understand my fascination with clouds, you have to realize that I didn't see them at all for three years. The air pollution in China had made them an endangered species--it was only on the rarest of days one might catch a glimpse of enough blue background to actually see what might pass for a cloud. It being human nature to value most that which is rare, I became quite a lover of all things cloud--cumulus, nimbo-stratus, you name it, I adore it.
Today's version of cloud was truly exceptional. And, always one to give credit where credit is due, I said out loud, "Thanks, God. Great job on the clouds today!" If that were the end of my religious experience, my sanity might not be called into question, but then again, what is a religious experience if not an event which does call one's sanity into question? No, my religious experience happened after that, and it was so brief that in hindsight I wonder if it really happened.
What happened was this...after I complimented God on His great job, I felt a jolt. It lasted only a micro-second. But it was a bolt of pure joy, straight to the heart. I responded, not by falling on my knees or assuming some pious pose or another, but by laughing out loud. I had the biggest smile on my face, from ear to ear. And I thought to myself that this, then, is what heaven must be like. The most amazing, wonderful joy one can imagine. In that moment I felt that I understand that I had been given only the tiniest glimpse, because as a living and breathing human, that was all I would be able to handle.
I do confess to being a doubting Thomas. I am a reader, a thinker, a logic-seeker. With a very eclectic taste in music. So instead of listening to hymns and Jesus-loves-me songs, I was driving along listening to JackFM. As I was trying to make sense of the experience I had just had, thinking I had certainly imagined the whole thing, the crazy radio announcer voice came on and said, "Hey, Jack, those clouds look like angels." And I laughed out loud again. You can keep your serious, vengeful, "my religion is better than yours and you're going to Hell" God. My God is joy, 100% pure joy. And He's got a great sense of humor.
I was driving along the street in Flower Mound, under the watchful eye of the police, who patrol night and day for wanton criminals driving 41 in a 40 mph zone. I had stopped behind the cars at the red light, and began killing time by looking all around me. I noticed the first car in line had a very reflective back window, and I could see large, puffy white clouds dancing across it. The second vehicle was a motorcycle, and I could see those same puffy white clouds in its rearview mirror. Then I looked up, wanting to see the original version, and saw the most amazing huge clouds, billowing across the sky. They covered the entire sky, dancing this way and that.
To fully understand my fascination with clouds, you have to realize that I didn't see them at all for three years. The air pollution in China had made them an endangered species--it was only on the rarest of days one might catch a glimpse of enough blue background to actually see what might pass for a cloud. It being human nature to value most that which is rare, I became quite a lover of all things cloud--cumulus, nimbo-stratus, you name it, I adore it.
Today's version of cloud was truly exceptional. And, always one to give credit where credit is due, I said out loud, "Thanks, God. Great job on the clouds today!" If that were the end of my religious experience, my sanity might not be called into question, but then again, what is a religious experience if not an event which does call one's sanity into question? No, my religious experience happened after that, and it was so brief that in hindsight I wonder if it really happened.
What happened was this...after I complimented God on His great job, I felt a jolt. It lasted only a micro-second. But it was a bolt of pure joy, straight to the heart. I responded, not by falling on my knees or assuming some pious pose or another, but by laughing out loud. I had the biggest smile on my face, from ear to ear. And I thought to myself that this, then, is what heaven must be like. The most amazing, wonderful joy one can imagine. In that moment I felt that I understand that I had been given only the tiniest glimpse, because as a living and breathing human, that was all I would be able to handle.
I do confess to being a doubting Thomas. I am a reader, a thinker, a logic-seeker. With a very eclectic taste in music. So instead of listening to hymns and Jesus-loves-me songs, I was driving along listening to JackFM. As I was trying to make sense of the experience I had just had, thinking I had certainly imagined the whole thing, the crazy radio announcer voice came on and said, "Hey, Jack, those clouds look like angels." And I laughed out loud again. You can keep your serious, vengeful, "my religion is better than yours and you're going to Hell" God. My God is joy, 100% pure joy. And He's got a great sense of humor.
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