The Ultimate Union - Why We Can Never Be Separate from God

Time is a seemingly stubborn illusion, yet we all find ourselves under its sway. But have you ever wondered, what if time is just a construct of our minds? Nevertheless, this human construct called time does serve a purpose—it helps us make sense of growing up and becoming "of a certain age" and gives us a way to measure the world.

Regardless of whether time is an illusion or not, here I am, amidst the festivities of my 50th college reunion. It's a moment of reflection, a time to reconnect with the past and embrace the present. I am connecting with friends I haven’t seen in years and meeting classmates I did not previously know. It's a whirlwind of emotions and memories, a testament to the power of connection and the joy of reunion.

Spiritually, when I think of reunions, my mind goes to the well-known biblical story, "The Prodigal Son." The story is about a father who gives his inheritance to his youngest son. The son then wastes his legacy on a journey to the "far country." Eventually, the Prodigal Son ends up homeless and hungry and must find work feeding pigs to survive. In the end, the young son "came to himself," realizes the error of his ways, and returns home to his father, who, with open arms, joyously welcomes him home. The father even gives him a grand party.

The parable of the prodigal son is a powerful metaphor for the ultimate reunion story, symbolizing our journey back to oneness with God. It illustrates the idea that we are never truly separated from God's Presence. God has never moved, but in our minds, we have distanced ourselves from God. The story teaches us that no matter how far we may feel from God, we are always welcome to return, and our reunion with God is always a joyous occasion.

We can glean several lessons from the parable. The prodigal or younger son represents that part of humanity attached to the material that seeks external validation, affirmation, and love outside of themselves. As a result, the prodigal son is lured to the "far country," a metaphorical place that represents a state of spiritual separation from God. It is a place where we believe that external achievements and acquisitions can bring us satisfaction, but in reality, they only lead to a deeper sense of emptiness and dissatisfaction.

A contemporary example involves students who graduated from a prestigious business school and came together for their fifteenth-year reunion. Upon graduation, their destiny seemed to be nothing but prosperity and blissful days.

By objective standards, that abundance and apparent euphoria became a reality based on the graduates' success and privilege. They reached a level of achievement not seen in years. They were the financial elite. Most of them lacked nothing. But several of them were not happy. The reason for their unhappiness was that they sought to make external success and acquisition the purpose of their existence. However, what often follows temporary satisfaction or fulfillment from anything attained outside of us or external achievement is dissatisfaction.

Jesus referred to this dissatisfaction when he said to the woman at the well, "Whoever drinks the water of this well shall thirst again." Put another way, you can never get enough of something you do not need.

Whenever we seek satisfaction or fulfillment from the external or mere acquisition of things, it’s like chasing a feather in the wind. The more one swats after it, the more it eludes us, and genuine satisfaction never does come. I can relate.

In my younger years, after graduating from college and then law school, I, like the prodigal son, sought fulfillment from external achievement. I was chasing after success and material wealth, believing that they would bring me happiness and fulfillment. But as is often the case, dissatisfaction set in, and I ended up leading a riotous and self-destructive lifestyle. Subsequently, my life imploded.

Fortunately, I didn’t have to feed hogs like the prodigal son (thank God). But I had my low point before "I came to myself" through a personal awakening, a moment of realization that there is more to life than material success, and true fulfillment comes from within.

Many of us, regardless of our background or beliefs, must go through this prodigal stage at some point. This phase seems like a necessary step in our personal growth. We metaphorically go off to the far country, away from our union with the Spirit of the Living God, to come back to the realization that we are always one with the Source from which everything flows.

When this reunion takes place, we realize there has never been any separation from the loving, supportive energy of the universe. There is no reunion better than coming back home to God's presence. This realization is a profound spiritual insight, a reminder that no matter how far we may feel from God, we are always welcome to return, and our reunion with God is always a joyous occasion.

Peace and blessings,

James