Let's Get This Straight

Hello, all. I would like to announce that I am OUT of school. No more. Zippo. I am through. Till August at least. We clear on that? Good. The good news for you folks is that I'll, in theory, be able to blog a bit more since I'm not spending all my writing time discussing why an appeasement policy towards Hitler caused WWII on the school message boards. It didn't cause WWII on the message boards by the way, I meant it caused the real WWII. The English language just made it difficult to put that last prepositional phrase somewhere that made sense. Now that that's behind us, you have to be wondering what I did today. Go ahead, ask! Fine, I'll tell you anyway. Take a deep breath, and prepare for bluntness.

I went to a memorial service. Exciting eh? Actually, a good portion of it made me want to puke. I had no idea church events could be so un-Biblical. It also seemed a bit dead, which I found ironic considering the occasion, but that seems to be a common church problem. First of all everything was done out of routine, as in they did it just because they had always done it, and I honestly didn't catch a bit of worshipful attitude about it. Even prayers were said just because it was time to, like some sort of ritual. I guess that sounds familiar to many of you though, so I'll start on the part that got me to thinking. As we were about to go into "Victory in Jesus", the lady leading the singing said something along the lines of "My momma loves this song, now y'all sing loud so she can hear it. I know she doesn't even need a book." Considering the song-leading lady was headed for 75 afwul fast, I figure it's safe to assume that her mother has been deceased for quite some time. I didn't see any 100-year old deaf ladies in the congregation, though a few had to be shouted at to carry on much of a conversation. I have to admit though I had a hard time keeping quiet when I realized that singer lady actually believed her mother was looking down from heaven and singing with us. While thats a nice sweet though, it just ain't the case.

When it comes to heaven, we make things so dumbed down and so much worse than they really are. The truth is, IF her momma is in heaven, she is likely so busy worshipping God that she couldn't care beans about what's going on down here. So why is it we like to think our deceased loved ones are sitting there taking care of us? Frankly, I much prefer God to do that Himself. He does a much better job.

Some of you may have been shocked to see that I said "IF her momma is in heaven". I hate to break it to you, but that's definitely an "if". We seem to get the notion that all those who have died are, to steal the funeral cliche, in a better place. Why do we lie to ourselves? Why do we allow ourselves to believe that those who never placed their faith in God are now residing with Him? Are we too afraid of pain to admit that most of the people who's empty shell lies in each cemetery you drive by are likely suffering, burning, continually dying in a God-forsaken BLEEP? It's so much more comforting to believe that maybe they accepted Jesus at the last second. Is that possible? You bet. Likely? Sorry, but no.

The reason I'm bringing out the harshness is for those who are alive but dead spiritually. If we realized where most of the people we love and care about are going, we wouldn't let anyone else go there without clearly understanding that there is a way of salvation. If you had taken the chance to talk with your grandfather, your aunt, your friend's cousin's fiance, or the person you didn't really know that God laid on your heart, they might not be separated from God for the rest of eternity. But no, we let ourselves believe that they are in heaven havin' a good time feastin' with Jesus (hallelujah, glory be)! After all, they did attend church their whole life, they have to be there. Plus if we believe that, it saves us from having to ask that awkward question, "Do you KNOW where you are going?" And we would hate to do anything so uncomfortable. The cause of Christ just isn't quite worth the psychological discomfort that question might cause us or the other person, and we all know it's politically incorrect to psychologically discomfort someone. How about this: quit being a pansy and realize that BLEEP exists and people are going there way faster than you are telling them, and then DO something about it.

P.S. I speak to myself here too.