Hastings: Eternity in our soul
“God has made everything in harmony with the divine; yet although the Almighty has imbued eternity in our soul, we are unable to grasp the totality of God’s work from beginning to end.” — Ecclesiastes 3:11 The Inclusive Bible
The recent round of graduation parties and Father’s Day gatherings interspersed with losses of loved ones and celebrations of life has brought the familiar “seasons passage” of Ecclesiastes to mind. The author tells of “a time to be born and a time to die … a time to mourn and a time to dance … a time to keep silence and a time to speak ... ” The verse above follows the seasons passage and is one which continues to intrigue me — especially the part about eternity in our soul.
I wonder what it means to have eternity in our soul. Does it mean having divine DNA — the image of God — within? The author of Genesis wrote, “Humankind was created as God’s reflection: in the divine image God created them; female and male, God made them.” Does eternity in our soul mean our hearts and minds and souls are microcosms of the created world. Does it mean having intuition, imagination and creativity?
A look at history reveals the human desire to explore and see beyond horizons and limitations, for in ancient burial sites the dead were buried with their faces positioned to greet the dawn of another life. As people then and now wonder what this new life may be like, new discoveries are made.
Although human discoveries and potential are amazing, the more one learns the more one realizes how much more there is to be learned. Learning leads to the realization that the ways of the Holy One are beyond human knowing. This invites humility, for the human sense of eternity is still a mystery. The Holy One who put eternity in our soul also put limitations on our path to nurture our faith and hope.
The Rev. Celia M. Hastings has a master's degree in religious education from Western Theological Seminary in Holland. She is author of “The Wisdom Series” and “The Undertaker’s Wife.”
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Hastings: Eternity in our soul
