Let’s just look at a couple.

First of all, you are here for a purpose and that purpose has yet to be fulfilled or you wouldn’t need to be here. You might never understand what that purpose happens to be but, sometime, somewhere, you are going to touch someone’s life and make a difference.

Secondly, you obviously haven’t learned all you need to learn. You can’t graduate until you pass your finals.

Nearly twenty-five years ago, I worked for a Christian Broadcasting Network. I was the Networks roving engineer. They sent me to all the places we had stations or affiliates who were having major technical problems and expected me to solve them in a week or less. I usually did but that’s not the reason I’m writing this.

While I worked there, there was a nice old gentleman who was loved by practically everyone at the network. He was called a “prayer partner” and knew the bible inside out and probably back to front as well. During the week at lunch time there was a group of people who would go for a walk around the industrial park which bordered the area the network headquarters occupied. The distance was about a mile so it took a bit of time to finish the walk.

One day, he finished the walk half-way. For the next week practically everyone was bemoaning his demise. That’s fine, but we are really moaning for ourselves and not the person who died. After a week of this I was pretty much fed up with the pity party everyone was continuing to hold. Four of the people from across our complex came into the station still moaning about his death. My comment to them was; “Why are you so unhappy? He graduated. He learned what he had to learn and he imparted it to others. We are all better for it and the Lord decided he had done the work he was sent here to do. He graduated to a better place. I suppose when we are able to do whatever we were sent here to learn, then we will graduate too.”

They all stopped like I had slapped them in the face then big smiles broke out. By the next day everyone was working hard again and glad for our brother in Christ.

Now, for people who don’t believe in God (or any kind of a particular God) this is still applicable. God didn’t say that those who are agnostic nor those who are atheists cannot achieve heaven. It is men (and women) who have said that. All that God (Jesus) said was “believe upon me.” There was no limitation as to whether we had to be alive or not when we did this. There were only a few criteria such as not taking one’s own life, and a little thing “no man shall know the hour”.

I may not have my quotes quite right but the gist is there. We have courses to take, lessons to learn and teach before we can graduate. Forgiveness is a part of our lessons and yes it’s bloody difficult to pass that particular test. We were told to turn the other cheek but we weren’t told to be someone’s whipping post.

Sorry for the preaching, I felt I needed to say something because I could feel your pain. The moral is hidden deeply inside this story and there are likely one or two lessons in here too. I suppose Rev. Anam Chara would need to expound on that.

Anesidora

Edit: P.S. Equally obviously I also have some things to learn and teach since I'm still here after 70 some years.

LOL