In the economy of salvation, everything that exists is good and nothing is ever wasted. On the human level, anything that blows up ends up destroyed or obliterated. On the Divine and cosmic level, when the first big bang happened – that was the beginning of everything there is. In our daily experience, seeds die; they are buried in the ground and they give rise to new life. Leaves and branches fall to the ground; they rot and they fertilize and give sustenance to seeds sprouting to life. The clouds rain down water on the growing plants and the run off water vaporizes into clouds to come down again as snow or rain.
And so it is with men. Everyone who exists has the seeds of goodness in him and no one is ever really lost. People die and the stories they leave behind are lessons for the new generations to learn from and to lead and have better lives. We who live today literally stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. We enjoy life today because of all those who have come before us.
Mine is not to judge others for I do not know their full story. Until and unless I have seen and experienced the goodness, the beauty and the truth in a person’s life I cannot judge that person. And often getting to know another person is as difficult, nay as impossible, as getting to truly know God.
In the end, at harvest time, all these things will be made clear to me. Then, I will see and know the full and real story of every life that has come my way. And I will be revealed to all people who are dear to me as I really am. That for me is but a glimpse of what heaven is going to be.
How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!
His slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds
you might uproot the wheat along with them.
Let them grow together until harvest;
then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters,
“First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning;
but gather the wheat into my barn.”’
Matthew 13:27-30