Reincarnation is an ‘in’ thing. Some influential people have signed up to it, not to mention the Hollywood stars who have found reason in its teachings. Who else better to get moral and eternal guidance from than actors who spend their whole life pretending? Was I being sarcastic just then? OK, maybe I don’t respect Hollywood, but putting them aside I still can’t deny the fact there are plenty of smart ‘educated’ people becoming Hindus despite having to believe that old McDonald’s cow is quite possibly their great-aunt. Eastern religions are the thing to be into; people own up to it without hesitation now. It’s politically correct and nothing to be ashamed of.
Eastern religions are making big inroads in the West. One probable reason for this is because we Westerners love mysteries, and nothing is more vague and mysterious than Eastern religions. We’re not quite sure what it means but it is a tolerant, convenient approach - you can take a bit of this, a bit of that, whatever suits you! No one is really wrong and everyone is right. The ‘truth’ is whatever you want it to be. There are no absolutes, just vague concepts, karma, and the possibility of salvation. But it is at this point I have a confession to make. I have found myself appreciating an aspect of ‘reincarnation’, as something I see value in. After all, look at the concept. It basically says, ‘Be careful how you treat life as you could be mistreating someone important who’s come back in another form’. That’s not such a bad idea is it? It might bring a little more respect into this cruel world.
It was a Tuesday morning at the rehab when I found my friend Caleb. He was a little stressed and when we sat down to talk he said, ‘Where is Jesus today? I can’t see or feel Him. How do I know He’s there or He cares?’ My first thought was to pull out a Christian cliché or a pat answer, but all that does is help you save face and does nothing for the person who asked the question. The second thing I thought was, ‘Who hasn’t asked that?’ I’ve asked the same question myself; it’s a bit of a mystery. But in the midst of all these thoughts God clearly spoke to me, ‘It’s you, it’s Christ in you’. Then it hit me, this morning, right now, I was the physical representation of Jesus to Caleb. So then I said, ‘Can you see me? Am I with you right now? Do I care?’ to which he replied, ‘Yeah’. ‘Then you have just answered your original question’, I said. ‘It’s only Christ in me that has made me come this morning. The fact I’m here means Jesus is here, the fact I care means Jesus cares.’ In a way, it was reincarnation - someone important (Jesus) has come back and He was in another form (me).
God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you (Colossians 1:27 NAS).
Reincarnation to the Hindu is still a mystery. They don’t know who or what is coming back. But to the Christian the mystery has been revealed, it’s Christ in you! The only way Jesus can physically touch this world is to reincarnate Himself in His followers. You are the only Jesus some people will see, hear and touch. I don’t know why God has decided to restrict Himself in this way but in His sovereignty He has chosen to work and reveal Himself in and through us. Jesus needs a body to touch other people and He has asked if it is OK to use mine. He wants to be ‘reincarnated’ in me. He wants people to see Him because they see me.
God in His sovereignty has set in place a system of dependence and reliance. God depends on me to be a real, live, physical Jesus to other people, and I rely on other people to be that same Jesus to me. Constantly in the world you live in people are asking, ‘Where is Jesus today? I can’t see or feel Him. How do I know He is there or He cares?’ The answer, of course, is you, ‘Christ in you’. And this is true ‘reincarnation’.