I first heard this expression from a Buddhist – my mother, actually. Apparently it is one of the key teachings of Buddhism.. The idea is that you shouldn’t hold onto anything in this life too tightly because it is fleeting… you are not to care so much about all the temporal stuff… but you know what? At that point, they’ve got something right… Nothing on this planet and in our immediate surroundings is permanent. The weather and the seasons change. People get older day by day until they die. Money is gained and lost. Health and weight goes up and down.. What else? Can you think of anything that is permanent?
And then it hits me… the eternal grace of God. His never-ending love and forgiveness. These are permanent.
I don’t know about you, but I am going to try to focus more on these permanent (eternal) things instead of all the other impermanent things… And who knows, maybe this could even be a starting place for talking to others about God – since a lot of western society is now taking on more and more Buddhist philosophies – perhaps here is one we can agree on…
