In October, 2021, the New York Public Library's main office instituted a "forgiveness of late fees for all returned overdue books in all its 200 branches." The goal was to increase visits to the libraries after being on limited schedules due to Covid-19. The promise exceeded their expectation. With the increase of 9% - 15% of personal visits came 21,000 overdue or lost books in three boroughs and 16,000 in a fourth.
The explanations given for keeping the books offer at least three spiritual lessons. First, humanity doesn't return novels, histories or cassettes to God. They are things. We must return the made-in-God's-Image OURSELVES. Second, humanity can never say, as one person claimed, the books she kept helped her get through her personal life and career; they were so important they became her family. No human can ever say, "I've done as well without God by keeping life under my control." Since God created humans to find eternal life, II Corinthians 5:1-5, and Jesus alone not only gives a present life full and pressed-down to overflowing, John 10:10, but eternal life, we must have God in our life! Grizzly bears, mountain lions and Great White sharks do very well without God, but humans MUST SUBMIT to HIM to reach their full potential here and eternal life hereafter. Third, God presently offers to all who accept Christ: forgiveness of sins—removed and obliterated; and daily peace with God, an inestimable pleasure. Now is the Day of Salvation, while we live, think and can repent and be baptized. Come while we may. Forgiveness for each is for a limited time. We can die any day. We can get too old to want to change. Repent while we can. For remaining unforgiven in this world means we face Christ's wrath at Judgment, not his forgiveness. Now he's our Savior. If rejected, he's then our Judge. Savior means he forgives. Judge means he's Just—and Just means he punishes, for all unforgiven sinners deserve Hell.
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