12-08-2009, 11:50 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-08-2009, 11:56 PM by Questioner.)
Hi Lynette,
I imagine that you might find Carla to be a kindred spirit. She also loves Jesus as one who demonstrates unconditional love, yet she has little use for traditional Christian doctrines about original sin, substitutionary atonement, etc.
Both you and your mother could remember that both of you share some spiritual practices. You both read the Bible and ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand the love that Jesus has for you. Knowing that both of you do this, it is then God's job, rather than the job of either of you, to turn on the light for each other to understand what God wants you to know. If she knows that you also read the Bible, celebrate the love of Jesus and try to be loving as he taught, and pray, then she can have faith that her God will help you see whatever doctrine you need to understand. Even if her words don't get through to you, she doesn't need to fear that God won't have some other way to reach your spirit.
The greatest bliss, joy and union with God that your mother can imagine, is to have the traditional Jesus greet her in the traditional Christian heaven. Is there really a need to try to convince her that there is something else she should want more than that? Is there a problem with her longing to feel certain that you would get to share the greatest union with God that she could imagine? You don't know much about that heaven, but while you are on this earth, you try to love your neighbor as her Savior taught and demonstrated. Isn't that enough for her to celebrate?
I imagine that you might find Carla to be a kindred spirit. She also loves Jesus as one who demonstrates unconditional love, yet she has little use for traditional Christian doctrines about original sin, substitutionary atonement, etc.
Both you and your mother could remember that both of you share some spiritual practices. You both read the Bible and ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand the love that Jesus has for you. Knowing that both of you do this, it is then God's job, rather than the job of either of you, to turn on the light for each other to understand what God wants you to know. If she knows that you also read the Bible, celebrate the love of Jesus and try to be loving as he taught, and pray, then she can have faith that her God will help you see whatever doctrine you need to understand. Even if her words don't get through to you, she doesn't need to fear that God won't have some other way to reach your spirit.
The greatest bliss, joy and union with God that your mother can imagine, is to have the traditional Jesus greet her in the traditional Christian heaven. Is there really a need to try to convince her that there is something else she should want more than that? Is there a problem with her longing to feel certain that you would get to share the greatest union with God that she could imagine? You don't know much about that heaven, but while you are on this earth, you try to love your neighbor as her Savior taught and demonstrated. Isn't that enough for her to celebrate?