Joy has its roots in distressing experiences.
Fruits come from rain and sun.
Without suffering we would not understand the perfect.
Suffering pushes us to the limit of understanding and leads into the world of trust.
“Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him” (Psalm 126:4-6).
Joy in the success of your neighbour, the secret of divine humility and unity.
“But God has so composed the body, giving greater honour to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together.” (1 Corinthians 12:24-26).
Saturday, January 14 – Impulse 7 for the Allianz Week of Joy
A survey in the Diocese of Basel Switzerland has shown that a majority of Catholics seek advice in God’s Word (54%). Also the Word of God, but in the form of the liturgy or reading the Bible, increased 44 percent. When asked in which moments they experience a good dialogue in the church in their environment, 17 percent give a self-written answer. Individual and concrete examples were often mentioned (e.g. in the monastery shop or the common Bible group).
In the Koran, Allah describes the Muslim paradise as follows: “They (those who are close to God) lie opposite one another on couches with a gold thread, while eternally young boys make the rounds among them with tankards and jugs (full of wine?) And a mug (full) of spring water (to be mixed in?), from which they neither get a headache nor get drunk and (with all kinds of) fruits, whatever (always) they want, and meat from poultry whatever they want. And wide-eyed Huris (they have them at their disposal) to compare (in their beauty) well-kept pearls”(Sura 56: 15-23). Sura 52.20 describes what is meant by Huris: “We give them wide-eyed Huris as wives”
The Muslim paradise seems to be a land of milk and honey, in which the man is served by boys and can take of several women.
According to tradition, Allah is in seventh heaven behind the lotus tree and not even the angel Gabriel is allowed to go to him. Allah lives for himself.
Christian heaven
Jesus, on the other hand, speaks of preparing homes for his followers (John 14: 2-3). One serves another in his kingdom (John 13: 14-15; 15: 12). Relationship with God is the focus (Revelation 21: 3). Earthly needs will no longer exist (for examples sexuality: Matthew 22:30). A newly shaped joy will fill people which we know little here, and which cannot be passed over into earthly life. Paul calls these “indescribable words” (2 Corinthians 12: 4). God himself will wipe away the tears of his children (Revelation 21: 4). Jesus taught that all who receive him into their lives (open the door for him, Revelation 3: 20) and walk with him, become children of God (John 1: 12) so that they may be where he is (John 14:3). Christian heaven is not about a place, it is about fellowship with God. Whoever accepts the offer of forgiveness from God through Jesus comes as a prerequisite, already here God’s presence through the Holy Spirit and he changes him. In order to reach heaven, we have to want God and Jesus and spend time with him already here. Christian longing is not a place, but a person: Jesus.
The main differences are: Christian heaven is about fellowship with God. In the Muslim paradise, Allah seems to be absent. In the Christian heaven one helps each other. In the Muslim paradise there are servants and masters. It seems that the women lie on the couches only when the man asks for them. It is also not clear who the young men and the wives are. Are these other Muslims?
When Muslims and Christians are saved on their own terms, they will not be in the same place.
Christians in southern Iraq continue to suffer badly from attacks by radical Muslims and are fleeing. Even the Pope’s visit in March could not change the lack of religious freedom, explain human rights activists.
Most Christians have since left the region for fear of being killed or kidnapped. The observer sees the interference by the neighboring states of Iran and Turkey as the biggest problem for Iraq.
On Wednesday, May 26th, there were again anti-Iran demonstrations in Baghdad. Update on https://www.obrist-impulse.net/christen-verlassen-den-suedirak
With one voice the Iraqi parliament decided Christmas will now also be a national holiday in Iraq.
It was Patriarch Sako who proposed to President Salih on October 17 that a bill should be introduced in parliament to recognize Christmas as a public holiday throughout Iraq.
On this occasion, Salih also reaffirmed his intention to encourage the return of the displaced Christians to their areas of origin in every way possible.
President Salih is a Kurdish engineer who graduated from the UK.