{"chapter_no":"10","chapter_title":"Time","book_id":"5","book_name":"Truth Management","subchapter_no":"0","page_no":"755","page_number":"1","verses_count":0,"total_pages":4,"page_content":"

 <\/p>

Chapter 10<\/p>

Time<\/h1><\/p>

 <\/p>

The casual observer is invited to seek after God and <\/i>to <\/i>find salvation––The change of seasons
mirrors the aging of man––Through prayer, man can discover God and the blessings of salvation.<\/i><\/p>

 <\/p>

 <\/p>

 <\/p>

And, of course, there is the final word in this discussion about faith and the existence of
God––time.<\/p>

 <\/p>

For the casual observer—someone who likes his life the way it is now and doesn’t wish
to be bothered; someone who looks through the prism of man’s knowledge and man’s
achievements; or, in fine, someone who sees all good religions or all good nonreligious attitudes
as being mostly the same—there is one sure way to know the truth of these things. Try the
experiment of time. Continue to live out the rest of your life unchanged, believing and thinking
as you do now. Seek not to understand the salvation of your own soul. Seek not after God, your
creator, nor desire to know the truth of your existence. Then, with these things left undone in
your life, sit by and watch the events of mankind unfold before your eyes in the years ahead. <\/p>

 <\/p>

For surely, a man such as this will begin to grow older, moving quickly through his
thirties, forties, fifties, and sixties. He experiences a change in life like that seen in the regular
cycle of the seasons. The end of the summer comes, and soon it’s the final harvest of his life.
This is followed by autumn, and the early sensation of cold and wind that he feels upon his skin.
Leaves change color and fall to the ground. The man’s hair changes color and falls to the ground.
Even now, in the autumn of his life, he might still try to live for the moment. But a me-first
lifestyle such as this becomes increasingly more difficult with each passing day and each passing
year: a large home, a collection of fine cars that sit in a storage garage, an assortment of fine
clothing hanging in the closet, a library full of worldly books, magazines, and DVDs, a social
calendar full of parties, and everything else the world has to offer––these things fade in
importance over time. The days that remain in this man’s life are now fewer. The hope he has for
joy in the moment gradually fades. The hope he has for joy in the afterlife gradually increases. <\/p>

 <\/p>

On this point, consider Jean Valjean's journey to Arras:<\/p>

 <\/p>

What did he do during this journey? Of what was he thinking? As in the morning, he
watched the trees, the thatched roofs, the tilled fields pass by, and the way in which the
landscape, broken at every turn of the road, vanished; this is a sort of contemplation which
sometimes suffices to the soul, and almost relieves it from thought. What is more melancholy and
more profound than to see a thousand objects for the first and the last time? To travel is to be <\/i><\/p>

born and to die at every instant; perhaps, in the vaguest region of his mind, he did make
comparisons between the shifting horizon and our human existence: all the things of life are
perpetually fleeing before us; the dark and bright intervals are intermingled; after a dazzling
moment, an eclipse; we look, we hasten, we stretch out our hands to grasp what is passing; each
event is a turn in the road, and, all at once, we are old; we feel a shock; all is black; we
distinguish an obscure door; the gloomy horse of life, which has been drawing us halts, and we
see a veiled and unknown person unharnessing amid the shadows.<\/i><\/p>

 <\/p>

But this time of life need not be tragic for anyone. For even in the autumn of life, it’s
never too late. A man can still change and do great things in his own life, as well as in the lives
of others. But he must hurry to make up for lost time. The preparation for eternity must start
today. <\/p>

 <\/p>

But how? How can a man change his life? <\/p>

 <\/p>

He starts by bowing his head in humble supplication, a simple recognition and
submission to a power greater than himself. His natural inclination as a human being is to look to
his creator, to adore and worship God. He may not fully understand yet what he is doing, nor
what the outcome will ultimately be, but in the performance of this first simple act, he has
already found peace. Humility is its own reward.<\/p>

 <\/p>

As the process of change begins, the man may still suffer with doubt. He might have
heard the general concept of God being discussed, reasoned about, or argued by those around
him, while he himself is unsure what to believe. Conversely, he might be one who is quite strong
in his beliefs, thinking that man himself is the controlling power of the universe, so why kneel in
prayer before the altar of an unknown God? Am I not foolish to do such a thing? Either way, this
man, like a scientist, is in the habit of looking only at that which he sees in his hand. Or, to better
understand what's in his hand, he looks backward in time at the history of the earth, gathering
whatever small sampling of facts and knowledge he can find. <\/p>

 <\/p>

But like the scientist, he has no method to gather facts or empirical data about the future.
He is blind to such things. With his natural eyes, he can see and understand nothing about a
possible afterlife. But what of his spiritual eyes? <\/p>

 <\/p>

As time passes, and after repeated attempts on his part over days, weeks, months, or even
years, if this man persists, he will find the answer he seeks. He will find that his humble prayer is
not made in vain. <\/p>

 <\/p>

Prayer is much like other forms of research, except that it is accomplished within the
confines of one’s own soul. Prayer requires repeated attempts; a man must try, and then try
again—waiting, wondering, hoping, and believing until the answer comes. He does this by
bowing his head, falling to his knees, and clasping his hands. And outside the daily research of
his prayers, he continually follows his conscience, striving to do what’s right to the best of his
knowledge and ability.<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

At birth, he was given a spark of goodness, a spark of humanity, something he can draw
upon at any time in his life to recognize the difference between right and wrong, and between
good and evil. He should allow himself to be led towards that which is good like it were a bright
light off at a distance; for surely, there is no equivalence between truth and error (the scientist
knows at least this much), nor between good and evil. He seeks after truth while still trying hard
each day to treat each man, woman, or child he meets with love and respect, like he himself
would like to be treated––the golden rule of humanity. <\/span><\/p>

 <\/p>

Then, at a moment in time, something will happen. It might be a moment when he is
alone. It might be a moment when he is amidst a crowd of people and time suddenly stops. Or it
might be a moment when his mind is at rest—as he naps, sleeps, or quietly ponders. But in any
case, what he will experience is an interruption, a sudden awakening of his mind and soul. It may
seem to him like a surge of electricity passing through his nervous system––something gentle in
nature, but something that, nonetheless, startles him with a shock, stirring his senses. This is the
Spirit of God. It may manifest itself to him in any one of a multitude of ways, but most likely it
will come in the form of a still, small voice spoken directly to his spirit. But the voice he hears
inside his mind and bosom, while still and small, will nonetheless be clear, powerful, and
unmistakable<\/span>. <\/p>

 <\/p>

What words might be spoken? <\/p>

 <\/p>

The words might be short and simple and come fast to him, so he needs to be ready. They
might be simple phrases recognizable from the Judeo-Christian scriptures such as \"I AM,\"
“Peace be unto thee,” “I love you [or thee],” or “Repent and be baptized,” or whatever the
situation requires. But regardless of the words spoken, the man cannot help but be amazed. The
mere hearing of words being spoken in this manner is what’s startling, bringing his soul to life.
More words and more guidance may follow in the days to come. For after he has heard these
words just once, his confidence and faith in God will grow stronger. He will know that this
process, like any scientific experiment, can be repeated. It’s a process that can also be peer-
reviewed by others like himself, those who at least have a serious interest in the salvation of their
souls.<\/p>

 <\/p>

Connected now to God in his life, he is well equipped to resolve questions of doctrines,
churches, religions, philosophies, and theories about the universe. He doesn’t yet have a perfect
knowledge of all things, but he has an understanding of what’s important––what truth is and
where peace is found. And he knows where to go if he still has doubts.<\/p>

 <\/p>

The question then becomes: What shall this man do with his newfound knowledge? <\/p>

 <\/p>

The answer: He must continue on from this event, learning and growing in faith,
continuing to do good to all men, and enduring to the end. If, like Scrooge, he has indeed already
reached the autumn of his life, perhaps his days will be extended to make up for lost time. A
repentant, righteous man can do a lifetime of good works if given a few extra years or a few
extra decades. <\/p>

And when that final day of his life does come, he will be ready. He will pass over to the
next world and live eternity to its fullest.<\/p>"}