Much as we long for a perfect world, we are
compelled to live in an imperfect one. Our
happiness is always short-lived and our every
success is, in some way, eventually a failure. The
aspirations that we cherish in the early days of our
lives are shattered as we begin to age. Just as we
begin to take root on earth, disaster, old age and
death overtake us.
How enchanting the flowers are, but they blossom
only to wither. How delicate the sun’s radiance, but
it shines for only a short while before being covered
in darkness. Miraculous though man’s existence is,
no miracle can save him from death. Everything in
this world shall perish. Although this world is
inexpressibly beautiful and meaningful, all its
virtues are bound to fade. All mundane things have
a dark side to them. How, one may ask, could a
God who is Himself perfect, be satisfied with the
creation of an intrinsically imperfect world? The
absolute cannot abide in the non-absolute. This
world must be inconclusive. Another world must
follow to compensate for the inadequacies of the
present one.
There is no doubt about the transitory nature of this
world. It came into existence at a specific time some
twenty million years ago. Its Creator must have
existed eternally, for only an infinite Creator could
have fashioned a finite world. If God had not
always existed, then this transitory world could
never have come into being. The very existence of
an ephemeral universe shows that there must be an
eternal Creator. If the Creator had not existed
eternally, He could never have existed at all and, if
there had been no Creator, there would have been
no creation either.
If we assert that the world was created on a certain
date, then this means that there must have been a
Creator before that date. If we go on to assert that
this Creator was Himself created on some previous
date, however, then our claim can have no meaning.
The Creator cannot himself have been created; He
always was. In His infiniteness He has created a
finite world. His existence, and that of all mortal
creatures, is dependent upon His immortality.
Since God is immortal, He must also be absolute,
for absoluteness is the greatest attribute of
immortality. The one cannot be found without the
other.
This world is a manifestation of God’s attributes,
but its shortcomings and limitations show the
manifestation to be incomplete. A complete
manifestation of a perfect and infinite God would
itself be perfect and infinite. Another world must be
awaiting us. This incomplete manifestation of God’s
attributes requires a sequel for its fulfillment.
Paradise is that eternal world of God in which His
attributes will appear in all their perfection. It will
be free of all the defects we experience in the world
about us. Paradise is evidence of God’s absolute
power to make beauty perpetual and joy boundless
in a world of everlasting peace and contentment.
Everyone is seeking some unseen fulfillment.
Everyone seeks a perfect world, but this has always
eluded man. Yet it is quite natural that he should
continue to strive, for the universe in which he lives
testifies to the existence of one, infinite God. The
emergence of a world of infinite blessings is just as
likely as the existence of the present transitional
world. How can an inherently infinite Creator be
satisfied with a finite manifestation of His
attributes? God, Who created all things from
nought, can surely endow creation with perpetuity.
This second creation is no more difficult than the
first.
Immortality is God’s unique quality, in which He
has no partner. Immortality signifies the highest
possible perfection which only God can attain. No
one can today imagine the wonderful nature of that
paradise which is a manifestation of God’s
immortality: that beauty which will never fade; that
joy which will never end; that life, the continuity of
which will never be interrupted; that world where
all our hopes and desires will be fulfilled. No one
will wish to part for even a moment from this
wondrously delightful paradise, no matter how
many millions of years have passed.
Man is always searching for a world of everlasting
content. This quest is quite correct and in
accordance with human nature; but our dreams
cannot come true in this world, for here, there
cannot be an eternally perfect order. The resources
needed for such a world are lacking. The Prophet
taught that God has made this world one of trial
and tribulation, not one of reward and retribution.
The world is full of things which put man to the
test, whereas the factors required for a life of
everlasting delight and repose will be forthcoming
only in the next world. Death divides these two
worlds. Death marks the completion of the trial of
man and his entrance into the world of eternity.
If one wishes one’s dreams to come true, one should
not try to construct a heaven on earth. One should
rather try to succeed in the trial of life, accepting the
role of God’s true servant, adopting the life pattern
of the Prophet and restricting one’s freedom to the
limits which God has laid down. The dreams of
those who succeed in the trial of life will be fulfilled
in the next world. Those who fail will find nothing
but woe awaiting them there.
Ref - The Way to Find God
