Imagine a locked monkey in a room with only a bell and a light. When the bell rang and the light was switched on, food was delivered.
What was expected to happen was that the monkey would eventually know the drill before expecting food. In other words, it wasn’t supposed to anticipate food when only the bell rang, or when only the light came on. This experiment is even tried when the monkey is satisfied. But the real question is: did the monkey ever know it was being tested?
Now imagine this—what if you wanted to go to heaven but God said wait, we’ll have the same monkey test first?
Today we have with us various religions, different minds, races, abilities, conflicts, challenges, and the modern ability to “think outside the box.” Yet still, there is no universally agreed upon proof that God exists. Maybe some higher Being wants us to connect the dots through life’s challenges—climate change, wars, diseases like cancer, or the overwhelming Covid-19 pandemic.
Perhaps man was—and still is—being tested. Only this time, the God test is far more complex, involving Covid-19 and other global dangers. I thought of this when my kid asked me recently, “What if you wanted to go to heaven but God said there are things you must do first—like buy me an iPhone?” Maybe, just maybe, God is waiting for us to call out to Him first, in unison.
So… are we being tested?
You know a test fails if there’s an unintended external influence. So if the Supreme Being exists, then He can’t just appear physically, send angels, or reveal Himself supernaturally. If indeed life is our monkey test, then it’s up to us to bang on the walls and scream: “We get it! We get it!”
If that’s the case, then the “end time” we keep hearing about may not mean doomsday, but rather the glory days we yearn for. (I explain this more in my book The End, which dives deeper into the question, does God exist?)
And now that humanity is approaching its limits—with threats like Covid-19, cancer, and a world glued to the internet—maybe we’re already in God’s counter-test. One that borders on science and faith working together. The challenge is not just about asking who is the right God—whether Hindu, Muslim, Christian, or Buddhist—but about facing the real question: does God exist, and what is the proof?
Once we find answers to that, we may finally turn to our Maker and say: “Okay, we get it. Free will is great. But hey—you made us, and we’re struggling with these diseases and wars. Please take it away. And oh… finally we meet. You are the One.”
