‘Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Philemon 1:3).’

I’m presenting here a letter of the imagination written by one *soul [Person] to another. They have corresponded for years, and they know each other well. The writer is a Christian, and the recipient an atheist. They are friends, but they are as different as chalk and cheese. This is because the writer has the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:10, 11), and is born of the Holy Spirit (John 3:3-8); but by contrast the recipient does not have the Spirit and is of the world, and as such is unable to comprehend the things of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14-16).

For a long time the faithful Christian (Matthew 25:23) prayed to God for the salvation of the other, but there was no positive response. The lost soul was incapable of hearing (Mathew 13:15; cf. Romans 10:17) and asked the other to stop preaching (2 Timothy 4:2). In respect (1 Peter 2:17), the Christian agreed to no longer preach the good news of salvation in Jesus (Isaiah 52:7).

But the Christian did not give up (Romans 5:3, 4), and wrote this letter in the hope that the contents may trigger thoughts about the taboo subject.

The Letter

Dear Friend,

Thank you for your beautiful words that reveal your generous heart. This is not flattery (Proverbs 29:5). Together we share words for pondering and cherishing. By contrast the words of many in the world are vile (Romans 1:26-31), but there is hope (1 Peter 1:3); for there are others like you who speak with love (Ephesians 4:15) and tenderness (Colossians 3:12). They are poets who rise above the filth.

Their language at best is the epitome of verbal expression. They probe the deeper understandings (Mark 4:13) of humankind. They excite and thrill their hearers with their sonorous and sometimes shrill notes. They express views and opinions about many things such as ‘existence, beauty, ugliness, death, love, hate etc..’ Honourably they seek truth (John 14:6) and hate lies (Proverbs 13:5; Psalm 119:163):

Who and what are people (Job 25:6)? What is their destiny? There is but a brief moment of breath (Job 7:7, 16; Psalm 78:39) upon this planet that is suspended in space. This unique blue pearl hangs (Job 26:7) amidst a myriad of stars that are surrounded by galaxies of countless more stars (Genesis 1:16).

My friend, you are to me a poet! Thank you for your crafted words that sometimes challenge, and always build me up (Romans 14:19). They test (1 Galatians 5:21) and occasionally stretch me, by taking me to far horizons where there are new-found mysteries hard to understand (Luke 8:10). You always offer worthy subjects (Philippians 4:8) for discussion, and you present theses that are based on the rational or they depend upon existential factors. I value your analytical assessments and well-thought-out propositions.

Our current theme is the ‘mundanity of human existence’. You describe humans as being lesser than the animals. You are appalled with their uncaring and despicable selfishness (James 3:15, 16). You describe them as a depraved subspecies (2 Peter 2:12) that are bent on killing not only themselves, but every creature that shares our planet. They do this by pouring out their putrid effluent upon the earth (Isaiah 64:6). We inhale toxic fumes that are spewed from thousands upon thousands of man-made ‘midges’ that fly high in the sky. They weave webs of deadly destruction (James 3:8).

At the roadside, and even in our homes, we inhale toxic particles that have been breathed out by bug-like, mechanical beasts. These killing machines are mass-produced by brainless robots designed by idiots who couldn’t care less that they are suffocating themselves and their kind.

We poison our bodies by ingesting processed foods filled with harmful chemicals, and we unwittingly expose ourselves to life-destroying rays of radiation emitted from thousands of beacons in and around our cities – all for the sake of communicating by mobile phones. Practically everywhere, ear-shrieking noise ceaselessly dumbs our sensibilities (1 Timothy 4:1, 2). We can no longer think. We are squashed and flattened by a descending, homogenous, black cloud of depression. We fear there is no hope. We are doomed. …… What shall we do? …….. Help!

I think that is enough of this vein for now!

But let me assure you, I am not depressed. You know why I am NOT depressed, and that is because I have a HOPE (Hebrews 6:19) of better things to come. You also know why at this moment I cannot elaborate on my hope. However, I am happy (Psalm 146:5) I have the privilege of conversing with you on other matters.

We do not speak TO one another, but WITH one another, because we are buddies. Our relationship is one of freedom (cf. Romans 6:15, 18) and of respect (1 Peter 2:17). Our sharing is not of things, but of thoughts. Our minds engage as if wired together. There are no physical caresses, no realtime hugs, no taste of the other’s tears, no touch of lips (Song of Solomon 4:11) and no actual hearing of voices that thrill the heart and make knees limp. Our two minds are tuned into the same frequency; each energising the other. We are lost in a wonder-world of our own. [All of us sin. (Romans 3:23)]

[In this next section the writer’s imagination runs riot, but the hope is that the recipient will be pointed to God’s heaven (Matthew 6:33), not a false heaven of sensuous indulgence.]

Waves rhythmically lap the sandy shore that forever drinks of the salty brine. The sand’s thirst is never quenched (Mark 9:43). The bottomless pit (Revelation 9:1) never relents, greedily sapping the living waters (John 4:14). But there is hope! The sun’s soothing glow gently warms two mortals. Nymphlike, they stand gazing upwards at an azure sky that is speckled with silver plumes of ice cold crystals, and between them there are golden wisps of fine gossamer. It’s not a vision, but a paradise of peace and love [Satan deceives them. (2 Corinthians 11:14)] . There, on the beach the two souls entwine (Song of Solomon 7:10). They are bound together by ribbons of freedom (John 8:36). Their fingers touch and they embrace. The spark of life [Jesus is the true light (John 8:12, 9:5)] pulsates between them. Fused together and no longer mortal, they are translated into creatures of immortal bliss. [Actual immortal bliss is only found by resurrection in Christ (1 Corinthians 15: 53, 54).]

What a dream! Life is not like that. Instead we experience the realm of subjective **reality. After our glimpse of a fictitious paradise we plummet back to earth. We are grateful for not being burnt to a frazzle (2 Peter 3:10) when entering the earth’s atmosphere. Our charred capsule is slowed by its life-saving parachute, and we gently descend to the ground. There we wake up, open the hatch, and the air smells better than before.

Maybe things aren’t as bad as we thought? Some humans are kind and loving. Some care for others and all that has life. They love our planet and will give their lives to save it, so that others will not perish. [Jesus gave His life so that believers will not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16).]

Kind thoughts from me to you,

Your Friend.

*Mind, Body and Soul

https://thebiblicalway.blog/2018/07/23/mind-body-and-soul/

**The Reality of ‘Now’

https://thebiblicalway.blog/2018/11/28/the-reality-of-now/