From Here to Eternity

“The real meaning of eternal life is a life that can face anything it has to face without wavering. If we will take this view, life will become one great romance—a glorious opportunity of seeing wonderful things all the time.” – Oswald Chambers, from My Utmost for His Highest

Never have seen the film. It is a compelling title. And one that acknowledges that we are all going from here to eternity, while rolling in the sand making-out or otherwise. 

Last night, driving back home from an event at a local gastropub called Hunger & Thirst, I could have rolled into eternity pronto. A young man coming in the opposite direction not only ran a red light, he continued to accelerate through it, totally oblivious for some reason to the red means stop principle. The acceleration was apparent as he approached the light from hundreds of feet away and caused me to pause before turning on my green arrow, sensing that he was blowing through the light with nary a notion that he could have killed someone at his plus 60 mph. Namely me.

I texted a friend later, that I had been hanging out with at the gastropub, that it is good to be moderate when drinking beer and driving, not only to protect ourselves and others from our dangerous driving decisions, but also to keep myself attuned to the idiocy of others. It is not that I haven't done something like that myself in the past unaware just because I was being absent-minded. However, if the young man had been drunk and driving, he deserved to be flogged.  Repeatedly.

I honked my cartoonish Honda road-runner beeping horn to try and give him a heads up to his pathetic driving. I'll show him! I wish it had a more authoritative bark and not just a yip even though it is an econo-car--why not have a kick-ass horn as compensation? I hope he recognized that he would have probably killed me by his poor driving. I go on to live another day, so all is well. Good to know that eternity can wait but not forever.

If a person trusts Jesus, the Bible is clear and comforting about eternity. And, here and now is just a foretaste of a meal that just gets better. That it will be fantastic. Without Jesus, eternity will be fatal. Hunger & Thirst forever. A horrid thought and one that many no longer take seriously as they drive unaware through life. Now, that's a tragedy.

Just as a P.S., I decided to add my name and Ph.D. title to this blog to primarily deconstruct the idea that one cannot be an intellectual and be a Christian. I have attained an educational credential that typically affords those who have done so a measure of respect and deference. I want to use that credibility for kingdom work and to make clear that one can be intelligent and thoughtful, in fact more so, because of faith.