To Whom Shall We Go - John 6:66-71

 It’s interesting that these people who are rejecting Jesus loved him when he was giving them free food, but now that he’s asking them to trade in the fulfilled law of Moses for his higher law of spirituality, they aren’t interested. The only like him when he can do something for them, but not when they can do something for him, that’s a very superficial relationship. We find that after Jesus teaches the people without food, “many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.” Jesus turns to the twelve and asks, “Will ye also go away?” And Peter gives an answer that has echoed through centuries and still speaks to me today. He says, “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life?” This is so powerful to me because of all of it’s implications. If I were to leave the church, where would I go? It really comes down to is there a God or isn’t there? Do I choose religion or atheism? The whole order of the world tells me that there is a God, our mere existence, tells me that something else is in charge here. In college I took a geology class, and I went to college in Hawaii so there was a very diverse group of professors. My geology was Indian and a vocal atheist. I remember distinctly one class where he went on for several minutes on how unlikely and delicate the existence of human beings on this planet is. He said that if the magnetic poles on either side of the earth changed even slightly, all life would be wiped out immediately. If our planet was just a little bit closer to the sun, we’d all burn to death, if we were just a bit further away, we’d all freeze to death. If the earth wasn’t tilted at exactly the 22 degree axis that it is, life would not be able to be sustained. He talked about how the earth, rocks, dirt, etc have settled over time to allow people a place to live, how the ph balance of the ocean allows animals and plants to live there without emitting poisonous gas into the atmosphere. He talked about the ratios of gas in the atmosphere, just enough oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, etc to allow humans and animals to live, but also for plants to grow. It was a very impressive discourse on the precarious circumstances in which we humans find ourselves on this planet. But I kid you not, in the next breath he started a “it’s stupid to believe in God” tangent. I was floored because of the obvious discrepancies that his beliefs held. All those reasons are part of what tell me that there is a higher power controlling our existence down here.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints makes so much sense to me on a logical level, but I’ve built a life around the gospel teachings and I feel in my heart that what it teaches is what Jesus wants me to know, and that by abiding in it’s teachings I will become a better, happier person and grow closer to the Savior.