UPDATE: Traveller said this in the comments of this post:
"This reminded me of some words of Henri Nouwen:
"Our life is a short time in expectation, a time in which sadness and joy kiss each other at every moment. There is a quality of sadness that pervades all the moments of our life. It seems that there is no such thing as a clear-cut pure joy, but that even in the happiest moments of our existence we sense a tinge of sadness. In every satisfaction, there is an awareness of limitations.
In every success, there is the fear of jealousy.
Behind every smile, there is a tear.
In every friendship, distance.
And in all forms of light, there is the knowledge of surrounding darkness. . . .
When you touch the hand of a returning friend, you already know that he will have to leave you again.
When you are moved by the quiet vastness of a sun-coloured ocean, you miss the friend who cannot see the same."
It seems to me this is the condition of our fallen existence for now. But our hope is for the redemption of creation in which this incompleteness will be gone forever as we live with God in his renewed creation. I look forward to his appearing and that day with great anticipation!
3 comments:
Aw. That's sad... I'm sorry :(
This reminded me of some words of Henri Nouwen: "Our life is a short time in expectation, a time in which sadness and joy kiss each other at every moment. There is a quality of sadness that pervades all the moments of our life. It seems that there is no such thing as a clear-cut pure joy, but that even in the happiest moments of our existence we sense a tinge of sadness. In every satisfaction, there is an awareness of limitations. In every success, there is the fear of jealousy.
Behind every smile, there is a tear. In every friendship, distance. And in all forms of light, there is the knowledge of surrounding darkness. . . . When you touch the hand of a returning friend, you already know that he will have to leave you again. When you are moved by the quiet vastness of a sun-coloured ocean, you miss the friend who cannot see the same."
It seems to me this is the condition of our fallen existence for now. But our hope is for the redemption of creation in which this incompleteness will be gone forever as we live with God in his renewed creation. I look forward to his appearing and that day with great anticipation!
What a great quote and comment.
'Tis true, isn't it. I was just pondering this yesterday, actually, and thought that if we did experience pure unadulterated joy it would probably make us spontaneously combust :)
Post a Comment