I have heard my father-in-law, who is struggling later in life with some significant illnesses, say many times that he is ready to die. It has made me contemplate end of life like never before. What I found out, at least for me, is that I do not fear death. Mostly it is because everyone does it eventually. It seems quite the trendy thing to do really.
I contemplated what happens after we die. I suppose that is the biggest fear of those facing death in the relatively near future. I believe in a concept of God that is rather simple. To me God is all of the spirits of all of the souls in the world. This explains the trinity. God is the Father because the souls of my ancestors are all part of that spirit. It is the son, because the spirit permeates all of the living souls on earth all the time. We are all the sons and daughters of God, because we are the living embodiment of all the spirits that make up God.
Most important to Jesus is the Holy Spirit, which Jesus called the Spirit of Truth. Jesus explained that you can ignore or disbelieve God and you can ignore or disbelieve Jesus, but the Holy Spirit must be listened to. The Holy Spirit is the connection between our souls and the universal spirit of all souls we call God. When we connect to that Spirit; when we ask for guidance; when we listen carefully; when we are open to hearing the answers to our prayers, we are connecting directly to God, to the spirit of all souls current and past, we are truly in harmony with all the souls living and not.
I believe that our bodies are just machines that our souls occupy for a lifetime. When we die, it is simply time for us to leave our failing machines behind and rejoin the Spirit, rejoin those who have died before us, but I do not believe we leave our connection to those still alive. We become part of the Holy Spirit for those we love.
Our souls are connected to those souls forever. The Holy Spirit is the voice of those who care deeply for us; those who have gone before who want to guide us, help us, and show us the way when we are lost. Someday, when the time it right, we all will rejoin the spirit, but we will not leave those whose souls remain in their bodies. You will still be there helping to guide us and all those who you love and who love you. It is a common seemingly known truth. Yes she is dead, but she has not left you.
Jesus showed us that we are here to serve; not to have our feet washed by others, but to wash the feet of others; to love our family, no matter what they do; to love those we are mad at, those who are mad at us, those who perceive themselves as our enemies, and perhaps most of all, those least fortunate. I believe that never changes. I believe that when you have found the ability to love so deeply that you love everyone no matter who they are or what they may have said or done, and through such love, learn to forgive completely without expectation of anything in return, you have found heaven. It does not matter whether you are here on earth or your soul is part of the Spirit in the next world.
I was speaking with an alcoholic and she mentioned that part of the 12 steps is to make a moral inventory of your life, to confess to God, as you understand him, and at least one other person anything that troubles you about your past life, and then to make amends to those you honestly feel you need to forgive or those from whom you wish forgiveness. She queried, “What religion would require such a thing?” I said, “All of them.” We just don’t tend to do this because it is uncomfortable. It is the essence of Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah. Jesus told us to confess our sins and repent (to recognize the wrong in something you have done and be sorry about it, make amends to those you have wronged, and change your ways), and the Catholics formalized the process. It is a critical part of Islam and I am sure most other forms of worship.
I believe this is an exercise guided by the Holy Spirit, connecting to those souls who have gone before you, those who love you and want to guide you and help you on your path. Most important, however, is that this is a personal exercise. The evaluation is not what would others think? It is, “What do you, in your connection with the Spirit, honestly believe?”
Someday, when the time is right, your soul will cross over. It will not go to hell. There is no such place. It will join the Spirit which is all of the souls of all who live now and all who have lived before, and you will be responsible to love and guide those souls still in bodies here on earth.
I have a very simple prayer I say all the time. It goes something like this.
“God, the Spirit of all Souls, thank you so much for all the wonderful people and things you have brought into my life. Please help me to love them all. Please provide me guidance as I go through life. Please help me do what I know in my heart is the right thing to do, no matter the consequences or fears, for I know that guidance is from the Spirit of God and you who love me will not lead me astray.”
Be happy, for being happy is your decision. Be at peace and know that the Spirit of all of the souls of all who love you are still with you and available if you let them in. Be in harmony with all those around you and love because love is heaven.
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