Forever
successfully escape forever. It is inside you. It has been constructed inside you by your Maker. You and I didn’t have a vote. We were hardwired for eternity. We were made to live forever. This is not first a matter of what we believe; it is first a matter of who we are. Eternity lives and longs inside us; there is simply no escaping it. This is why Josh and Sally struggle. This is why you and I strug- gle. Deep inside each of us is a cry for forever. It is every human’s struggle this side of eternity. That is why the whole world groans. (If you have a Bible near, read Romans 8:18 – 27.)
Someone Stole Something, but We Didn’t Notice
If we understood this reality and lived as if it were true, much of our discontent would disappear. But it isn’t that simple, because we don’t believe in eternity anymore. Sure, if you poll average citi- zens in Western culture as to whether they believe in an afterlife, most respondents will tell you that they do. The problem is that eternity doesn’t mean anything to most people. It’s not formative in the way they live their everyday lives. As a culture, we believe in eternity the way we believe in God. Most people say they do, but you wouldn’t know it from observing the way they live. Most people live in a constant state of eternity amnesia . We have abandoned a self-conscious allegiance to the reality of eternity that structures the way we think about and approach the here and now. The functional philosophy of the modern person is simply devoid of eternity. Forever isn’t a topic written about much in our newspapers and magazines. It isn’t a topic of interest in our popular entertainment media. It isn’t a serious topic of interest in the university or in the halls of government. The thought of forever simply isn’t a thought many of us carry around anymore, at least not in a way that makes much difference. We’re forever people who have lost sight of forever. Is it odd to think of eternity as being a topic of interest in the
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