What I Believe

In almost every near-death experience,
people have seen a long dark tunnel
culminating in bright light, and
ever-present sense of love.

Is it our repressed memories, our
lessons from childhood, our legends
passed on from days of yore?
Perhaps it's the firing of
primitive synapses, after eons of disuse.

But, what does it say of this life?

Down through time, scholars have
debated the Scriptures, pushed, pulled,
twisted until they were used as an excuse for
every imaginable purpose.  What is truth?

The Priesthood has been a calling, a job,
a sense of duty, sometimes, even
a thankless task.  All manner of men
have answered, for every kind of reason.

Good men have come and gone, relieved
suffering, and fulfilled our needs;
they have built great cathedrals and
mobilzed nations; they have changed
the face of history again and again.

The poor masses work away their lives,
providing for extended families, living
through strife and pain, and accomplishing ...

What?

Some have asked how a loving God
can allow all the suffering and evil
even done in the name of religion, and yet
remain silent.  Innocent people are harmed ...
for what?

The answer to that is simple:
Free will!
Of all the creatures on this earth,
the ones closest to God ... those
given a spirit, as he is Spirit,
only man is given a choice.

All creatures great and small, live
their entire lives through instinct.
There is only one way to behave, only
one way to survive: Instinct.
But men have the free will to choose.
Why is there evil on the earth?
It's not by his choice, but ours.

We do not understand what lies
beyond that great curtain of death,
except that there is a long dark tunnel
with light and love at the end.

What baggage can we haul
down that long dark tunnel?
What works can survive the
trying by fire?  Cathedrals, perhaps?
The rewards and awards from
grateful communities?
The tireless working out of
our sense of duty?

I believe there will be many surprises
on that Judgment Day.  Oh, yes,
I believe there will be one.
I believe that we will all stand upon that
crystal sea, and our real works
will be revealed: only those things
done out of love.

Dallas D'Angelo-Gary 09