“Success Is Not Final. Failure is Not Fatal.” – Winston Churchill

In addition to his quote in this blog post title, Churchill’s Commencement speech advised college graduates to, “Never, Never, Never, Never, Never Give UP.” Then, he sat down. Churchill’s wisdom mirrors Kipling’s advice in the Poem, “If’: “If you meet with Triumph & Disaster, treat those two imposters, just the same.”

Churchill’s formula for “Success” applies to many human endeavors.

It applies to Our Life’s Purpose described by the diverse observations below. To wit:

• In the song, “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina”, Andrew Lloyd Weber had Evita sing, “Fortune & Fame are not the solutions they promised to They are illusions.”
• Solomon, who tasted all the world’s pleasures & treasures, concluded, “ All is Vanity.”
• Job, in pain & loss, sitting on a dunghill, on the outskirts of town, with his wife & friends jeering him, said, “God knows me.” And, “My Redeemer lives.’
• In prison, Paul wrote, “I consider everything so much rubbish, that I might gain Christ.”

Clearly, Treasure, Pleasure, and Fame are transient things. Requiring more, more often, to satisfy a fragile ego, pandering to the Social Mores du jour. Fueled by the gratuitous gravitational forces of Pride, Lust Greed, etc. that fester in the soft underbelly of our humanity. That’s the “Opium of the Masses.” And Not, Religion, which Marx labeled.

The word “Religion” comes from 2 Latin words, “Re Ligo” – “To Link Again”. Religion “links again” our relationship with the peace & joy of the companionship of God. We were made in the “Image and Likeness of God” to be “Children of God” & “Heirs to Heaven”.

But Adam sinned (turned away from God’s companionship), and the perfect relationship with God was broken. So, God sent His Son, Jesus, to become man, and suffer & die on the Cross, to re-graft His “Broken Branches” into the “Living Vine”. Then, the original relationship with God was restored.

The sanctuary of our soul experiences the presence of God within it, by simply accepting that God loves us “As Is”. And accordingly, we will love God & others, asking nothing in return.

“Religion” is Not choosing the “Correct One” of the thousands of Christian Denominations, or Islam, or Catholicism, or Buddhism, or any Other “Ism” claiming to be the “Only Way” to know the will of God, by adherence to their Creeds, or keeping commandments, or doing good deeds.

The “Re-Linking” of the relationship with God is an Experience. A Mystical Experience. Well beyond any human enterprise. (“We don’t have a soul. We are a Soul. We have a body.” – C. S. Lewis). It’s our Soul’s Spirit experiencing the infinite Love of God. Reflecting that Love back to God & Others is the gyroscope for our Soul. We will keep Commandments and do Good Deeds by reflecting God’s Love.

The Successful restoration of our Soul’s relationship with God is Not Final: Our flawed Humanity will sin, again and again. But our Failure is Not Fatal: No sin, no matter how vile or frequent, can exceed the forgiveness, of the welcoming embrace, of the outstretched arms, of the Redemptive Cross: “Father forgive them for they no not what they do.” So, “Never, Never, Never, Never, Never Give Up.”

We can repent again and again, “creating in us a new clean heart”. Then, our heart will lie peaceful & calm, when it’s laid to its rest, experiencing the Peace & Joy of the Companionship of God, forever.