Near-death: Salvation
As I was sitting with my friend, I received a transmission as he watched on. He watched as my face presented a far off stare into the open space in front of me. It lasted 30 seconds and I tried to decipher the spiritual tone I had received. It was a matter of sorting through it to find a parable to relate to his own mind of understanding. It didn't come from my own conscious mind of understanding so I was as much a witness to the testimony that came out of my mouth as my young friend.
I told him,
"From what I am seeing - the concept your looking to understand about salvation has to do with being safe."
He said he didn't understand how I went to 'heaven' and came back to talk about it if I didn't believe in the Christian creeds and dogma's. I told him it was all politics to me and what ever I had gained access to - I had done it in my childhood and it wasn't anything anyone could ever take away from me. I went on to tell him the parable.
"To me - life is like a ballgame of sorts. Your standing at home plate when your born and you hit a ball that is thrown to you the minute you come of the womb. You start running the minute your feet hit the ground of the gravity of this world. No matter what - the minute you start breathing - that ball in motion. Much like a player who is standing at home plate when he hits a ball - he don't know where that ball is going to end up in the back field, yet - he has to start running for the first base not knowing if he is going to make it or not. He ain't got time to be thinking that he isn't going to make it. He has to go for what he knows. Much like we go through stages in our life - not knowing if we are going to make it our not. The thing I see about the 'spiritual tone' of salvation has to do with running with a peace of mind that no matter what - your going to cross home plate and score a home run - and the umpire is going to shout out SAFE!"
I went on to tell my friend that while in motion and running around the bases - you don't know what you can't see or haven't experienced yet - so - it takes a level of faith to keep moving in the same direction. Much the same is needed with salvation. Faith is the major ingredient that keeps a person motivated to keep on the same track. If a person feels that 'home run' is impossible - then he may stumble and fall and sit down on the base line some where. The ball is still in motion. When it comes to the 'safe' part, it isn't until we pass from this world. It is all about getting to heaven once we are finished here in this world.
To me, God was the coach standing on the sidelines urging us forward. If we didn't pay attention to the sideline couch while we were running the bases then we were alone and without the proper guidance to keep us running in the right direction.
To me, salvation was nothing more than living with the idea, hope and faith that when the time to cross over that line between life in this world and life in the world to come - the first thing you were going to hear on the other side was God screaming out 'SAFE.' To me, that was the victory over death. Your spirit just passes from one realm to the next. My friend asked about those who didn't make it and were called out. He asked if I believed in 'hell.' I told him,
"Prior to a few weeks ago, I didn't believe in it because - it isn't a place I have to worry about. I have never had to worry about that in my own life. But after this last trip home - I had a curious mind about everyone in the world running around talking about it - so - I took a trip to see it for myself. Unfortunately, I got a earful, sight full and mindful of that realm and it isn't a happy camper camp ground. I am not going to retain memories of it for long. I want to forget that place as soon as possible."
He asked me to tell him about my trip to the 'darkness' of the spiritual realm on the other side. He wanted to know if it was like the biblical reference he had grown up with. A fire of torment. I told him,
"Them boys are probably wishing they had a fire to keep them warm. The place I went to wasn't hot. It was cold. Frigid like the artic circle because the light of love from our Creator doesn't reach that realm. That is why they are there. They have turned their back on Creation. They choose it for themselves one way or another."