Breath of Fresh Air

My Recent Discussion with Abraham

I was talking with Abraham the other day.  We had an interesting discussion. 

Have you ever thought about how that experience would be?  I have.  But until the other day, I had never really had that real, face-to-face talk.

It was in the judgment line.  We were all there waiting, talking in our hushed voices, thinking somehow that the more visible we were, the more likely we were going to be cast into that dreaded outer darkness...

There was the kindest, gentlest-looking old man sitting over on a rock, out of the crowds.  He wasn't anything special, but you could tell right away that he was one who lived long ago - "Gen-Zeros," we called them.  Funny how even here, in the judgment line, we were classifying people by how they looked. 

I was wondering what life might have been like in different generations.  I was always excited when I saw someone of my own generation (even some who I NEVER thought would make it to the line!).  "Hey, long time no see!  How's it going?  What was your resurrection like?  Mine?  It was awful...I was in this mosoleum, when I specifically requested to be cremated, so here I am, trying to grow accustomed to the fact that I'm wearing this hideous suit and am stumbling around in the dust....yada yada yada..."  You get the idea. 

I guess after a couple of months of "catching up" with the others in line, you begin looking for a different experience.  So I decided to go up to talk to this old man. 

It turned out to be Abraham.

"Abraham," I said, "you would not believe how hard it was in my generation.  What with all the distractions - cars, phones, the interne---"

Abraham was not following.  And it wasn't just my poorly spoken Hebrew. 

He looked at me with pity as I explained the various devices of my age.  No...it wasn't pity, it was WONDER.  How he would have enjoyed those things!  I thought I knew all about his generation...the plows, the donkeys, the sheep.  How I would have LOVED to live in such an environment, so much closer to God!!!  What a blessed existence this man must have had!

"No," Abraham assured me, "there was no time to be close to God.  We wore ourselves out each day with our chores, and slept restlessly each night as our aching backs lay on the stiff ground.  YOU had a blessed existence."  "No," I said, "YOU had the blessed existence." 

The conversation stopped.  Abraham was not one to argue.  But it was a comfortable pause.  As we each sat pondering our own circumstances, I came to the undeniable conclusion:  I like Abraham.  He's a real guy, with a good perspective.  He's amazed by the stuff we had in my generation.  He's encouraged by the enduring faith and hope of people who had such material blessing. 

And I'm amazed by a guy who lived when 99% of my problems were irrelevant, yet who had opportunity to be faithful in everything he did, too.  Heck, I can't relate to 99% of his problems, either!

I gave Abraham a smile.  He smiled back.  We both understood.  I reached over, and gave him a big hug.

"It's good to be here with you, Abe," I said.  "Can I call you 'Abe?'?

"Sure.  Whatever."  He smiled again.  We sat and talked some more.  About different stuff.

I like Abraham.