I think it might have been a Harry Potter book, just a minute…..yup my daughter confirms it was in the book the Half-Blood Prince in which the magical contract of the Unbreakable Vow was introduced. The idea is that you can make a contract with someone that is unbreakable, or if you do break it the penalty is instant death. Imagine if we had the ability to make contracts like that!
I think some people try. I saw a person the other day with a tattoo that said the name of his wife and the word “forever” next to it. I guess that is sort of like that, except it does not mean death, just a really painful reversal procedure. Some religions have commitments with some serious consequences tied to life after death if they are not fulfilled, but that is not instant. I have heard of some pretty dire monetary consequences for not fulfilling a debt, but nothing that leads to death, unless you are borrowing money from a loan shark with mob ties.
I think we have all faced a moment in our lives where we have uttered a silent prayer to a God asking for help with some particular thing and then to add extra weight to it have added a vow along with it. Goes something like this, Oh, God if you will help me pass this test then I promise to never use another curse word in my life. This is a vow that should be unbreakable, especially, if God grants the plea. However is it?
You make a plea to deity and get your wish granted based on a vow and then you turn around and immediately break the vow and laugh it off, until the next time. I have an interesting question to pose. Is there a penalty to doing this? It certainly does not lead to instant death, but I believe it does cause irreparable harm to your soul, and not how you think. Believe in God or not, when you make a commitment of this nature you are effectively placing faith in something. You are placing faith in something you can do to gain assistance in something you feel that you cannot do.
Just think about that for a minute. What is going on here in your mind? You are admitting that you need assistance. You are admitting that things are out of your control and you are asking for the ability to put your faith in something that you can control in order to get the divine assistance. So what happens to your soul when you DO NOT keep the vow? You are effectively saying that you are not in control at all. You have no control and your are weak and a victim of circumstance. Break these vows too many times and that will have a very negative impact on you, God or not.
This will seem inappropriate to someone who believes in God, but consider for a moment that God in your mind is really a manifestation of your perfect self. The better you, the future potential you. If you make a vow to that manifestation of yourself and then break it, you are effectively saying that this version of you does not exist. You are saying, in effect, that God does not exist.
So next time you make a commitment, or a vow and involve God. Think on this. Would you deny God? Would you deny the possibility of the future self? Well, then you better keep the vows that you make or really seriously consider them before you make the next one!
Guy Reams
