Big Brother is Watching you!

George Orwell coined the phrase “Big Brother is watching you” in his classic novel 1984. The concept is that we are being surveilled constantly by some distant authority figure. It is a creepy idea to consider that some person or government would be invading the privacy of its citizens and controlling others, even passively just by their observances.

Recently I read a devotional by a pretty famous preacher who interpreted Hebrews 12:1 as just such an occurrence. The pastor shared that all of the great cloud of witnesses is watching us and we are never alone. First of all, that is boring – and if that is what we are doing in heaven then I don’t think I want to go. Can you imagine watching the nonsense of this world constantly on the other side of time in eternity?! Secondly, no one in heaven is omnipresent apart from God. And finally, this preacher implied that all the cloud of witnesses knows our thoughts and is paying attention! They are not omniscient and don’t they have better things to do than watching you and me?!

The verse in Hebrews 12:1 begins with a ‘therefore’ and everyone knows that when you see one of those you ask what is it there for?! It is the conclusion for everything that was said prior to it. In this case that is the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11. There were many people who by faith made it to the finish line and are cheering us on and praying for us to finish well too. What’s more is that we have much more to the story than they did –  so, don’t give up! While I do think that there is some knowledge of what is going on here from Heaven’s viewpoint, I do not think that they are watching it all every day – that does not even make sense!

I could say more but I am busy running the race and laying aside everything that holds me back. See ya at the finish line!