Every now and then, Cecilia, the warm and friendly sister in our church, would come up to me and ask me to help distribute the bread and grape juice for the communion. This morning, she asked again. I really didnt feel like it, but she really is such a warm and friendly person so I said yes. I only barely made it to church. My heart wasnt there. As I looked at the screen on the wall and read all those words to those songs, I agreed, mostly, intellectually. Emotionally, I felt as cold and dead as a dead salmon in a kodiak bear’s mouth.

Jason, the “pastor’ of our church, prayed something to the effect that someone would feel God’s presence and work in his life. I thought that prayer may have been meant for me, as he had called me on Friday, and I declined his invitation to dinner or discussion of any kind. He knew I was having a tough time. Maybe it was just my ego and his prayer could have been meant for someone else. I cared little, as I have concluded that Jesus is all about saving our souls. He is solely about our salvation, and our concerns here on these terrestial shores, should be exclusively on the afterlife. Yes, we have to in the meanwhile, live this life and carry on with the waking up, working out, working, eating and all the other stuff we normally do. But that is all humbug. That is all meant to play second fiddle to the main show, which is getting ready for the real thing. So, what – you are sick? Hang in there, it’s all gonna end anyway. You’re heartbroken after a messy divorce? Never mind, just hang in there and God would be your companion for life in no time. Tired of trying to live this life more meaningfully? Try forgetting this life and concentrate on the next instead, and you’d be a lot fresher for it. At least that’s my conclusion – the Bible is all about the next life. God cares. He loves us. He is concerned about us. The big context is – it’s all about the afterlife, about our salvation in THAT life.

So, yes I agree with everything Jason and TT Quah (preacher for this morning) said, with the big proviso that it is all about our salvation, about the afterlife. As far as this life, this here and now business is concerned however, … like the mob would say, “forget about it”. Just enjoy your life if you can, and que sera sera.