A Letter On Spiritual Beliefs
Thanks so much for forwarding your local paper’s “eulogy” written about your friend. It’s nicely written with a unique familiarity focused on the kind of individualistic character and person too few people ever really get to know. It seems, the more “different” people are, the less likely others will be willing to venture up close to that familiarity. There is something overly threatening, maybe jealousy, perhaps envy, possibly it’s just that being introduced to someone who really knows him or herself, reveals to others just how little they know themselves. It was a sensitive and thoughtful article and eulogy though. As with you, people who invest something of themselves in such a friendship always come away with true irreplaceable value.
I do find it of interest, how many people (like the author of the eulogy/story) “casually” believe in the hereafter, in “another time & place” where they will get to see their friends and loved ones again and/or meet people who in this life they’ve never had an opportunity or the guts to meet personally. Quoting from the article’s final paragraph, “The Captain is home now. Hopefully for all who knew him, we will see him again and again we will raise a glass with him.” Of interest to me is the basis for this hopeful belief or expectation. The only place in this life where this promise is offered or made by someone who can actually fulfill it, is through Christianity and it’s no where near as simple as “just believe in Jesus or get baptized” and you get eternal life. Some churches, even temples teach that position but the bible (neither old nor new testament in full body) sure doesn’t say that without a wealth of qualifiers.
Very, very few people truly grasp what kind of commitment and action is needed from and in this life to go beyond the distinction of “earning the right to become children of God” (Jn 1:12) and eternally becoming one. So many people take for granted and count on the “promise” of eternal life, especially as they get older, but too few research, study or practice it to find out what’s really involved in getting to that destination. It’s exactly like expecting to take an all expense paid vacation to Tahiti, without ever planning or saving for it. Even the Lord said, “Indeed it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Lk 18:25).
Capt. “Nasty” (clearly one person’s idiosyncratic observation held over in reference with playful sarcasm) isn’t nasty at all, in fact quite the absolute opposite. He might be that 1 in 1,000 or million who gets rewarded with heaven, but readers who live the now traditional new normal (self centered and focused) hopeful lives (without investment) will be the camels who won’t readily be offered any opportunity to see their friend again, even if the “good” Capt. was a committed and faithful Christ believer AND follower. Just a thought.
JC Calkins, with Common Sense 4 Uncommon People
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