I recently stumbled across this terrific cartoon, which appeared in my inbox many moons ago. Wish I knew the artist, because he or she gets it in a way that few Americans do.
The truth is, many of us living in Row 3 or this cartoon act like we’re still in Row 2, doing all we can to maintain our youthful vigor, looks and attitude. We diet routinely and work out at costly gyms; have our hair dyed and highlighted to banish the gray; invest in expensive face creams and even undergo injections or surgeries to stamp out the wrinkles; shop expansively for clothing that’s flattering and at least a little hip; read all the latest best-sellers on both the fiction and non-fiction sides of the aisle; and keep ourselves constantly busy, ideally with cultural events or cutting-edge entertainment or exotic hobbies to sharpen our conversational repertoire.
The trouble is, preoccupied as we are with all this frenetic activity, we fail to think deeply about the future captured so perfectly in this cartoon – especially about that last frame.
But Death Comes as the End, as Agatha Christie so famously titled her lone historical whodunit. And we may be headed towards eternal tragedy if we fail to plan for it by seeking out, and responding to, the truth about eternity.
The good news is that, as long as we have breath, it’s not too late to do precisely that. And the resources needed to streamline our search have never been more plentiful or more readily accessible.
So if you aren’t sure of your ultimate destiny, why put it off another day? Set aside the best-sellers and Must See TV shows for a few weeks or months and educate yourself about eternity. You will be forever grateful that you took the time to do so.
The truth is, many of us living in Row 3 or this cartoon act like we’re still in Row 2, doing all we can to maintain our youthful vigor, looks and attitude. We diet routinely and work out at costly gyms; have our hair dyed and highlighted to banish the gray; invest in expensive face creams and even undergo injections or surgeries to stamp out the wrinkles; shop expansively for clothing that’s flattering and at least a little hip; read all the latest best-sellers on both the fiction and non-fiction sides of the aisle; and keep ourselves constantly busy, ideally with cultural events or cutting-edge entertainment or exotic hobbies to sharpen our conversational repertoire.
The trouble is, preoccupied as we are with all this frenetic activity, we fail to think deeply about the future captured so perfectly in this cartoon – especially about that last frame.
But Death Comes as the End, as Agatha Christie so famously titled her lone historical whodunit. And we may be headed towards eternal tragedy if we fail to plan for it by seeking out, and responding to, the truth about eternity.
The good news is that, as long as we have breath, it’s not too late to do precisely that. And the resources needed to streamline our search have never been more plentiful or more readily accessible.
So if you aren’t sure of your ultimate destiny, why put it off another day? Set aside the best-sellers and Must See TV shows for a few weeks or months and educate yourself about eternity. You will be forever grateful that you took the time to do so.
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