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Heaven, man and his dog, and a different Hell
A story is told of a person who died along with his bestfriend, a dog. Both ascended to the heavens and found themselves on a dirt road with trees all around. The man knew that he was already dead but imprinted on his mind were these beautiful images of what heaven looked like that he wondered why they were in such a desolate place. With a conviction that hell must be somewhere down the road, he and the dog joyfully started the the journey up the unknown road. It's been hours since the man and his faithful friend started walking and there was still no sign of angels or the pearly white gates. They didn't hear the singing of a multitude of beautiful voices which were the usual description of what heaven was. Little by little their strides shortened and an hour later they were both tired and thirsty. With no clear idea of what lies ahead, the man and the dog plodded on until they reached a little hut just around the corner. An old hermit joyously welcomed the tired strangers and fetched them both water to drink to ease their parched throats. After resting for a while, the man asked the hermit where the pearly gates are. He was informed that they were, in fact, very near the gates. Just walk a mile or so up the path and you will not miss the gates, he was told. Energized now, the man and his faithful companion happily resumed their trek. A while later, the sound of singing and merriment can be heard. The man thought that they were very near heaven now. Sure enough, there, beyond the corner loomed the pearly gates. Near the gate sat a very old man. He motioned for the traveller to go inside; the latter did so with supreme happiness. Finally, the earth dream has come true. Smiling, the man motioned for this dog to resume walking. However, the old man stopped them. It turned out that the dog is not allowed inside the gates - humans only was the slogan. The man pleaded - this was not just an ordinary dog, he's a best friend. But the old man wouldn't budge. The rules were strictly imposed there and he was only a servant. He did not make the rules. The man sadly took a sweeping look at the place beyond the gates. It was beautiful and happy, surely it was the most pleasant place to stay for eternity. However, he also thought that the dog had died along with him because it tried to save his life. He gave the old man a bleak smile and turned away from his life-long dream of one day reaching heaven. Slowly he realized that heaven would not be as beautiful without his faithful dog. so, they both retraced their steps. To their surprise, the old hermit was standing by his cottage - the old man was smiling! They were welcomed once again and allowed to sit down. The younger of the men realized that he and his companion had nowhere to go; so, he requested the older man to share with them a piece of his property for them to stay in. Heaven turned its gates on them. The older man laughed heartily and led them to the backyard. There were trees everywhere. Children and adults and animals can be seen happily picking flowers or fruits or just lazily sleeping around. There were tents and huts and teepes and tree houses. The whole place was teeming with activity. The old man smiled at the awestruck younger man and said, my child, this is heaven - the one with the big gates was hell. And because the young man still couldn't talk in his amazement, the old man added that this was the real heaven - everyone and everything is welcome. So what does heaven really mean? Is it the ideal place of gold and pearls as depicted by the countless books on religion? Or is the ideal place of happiness and contentment? Then what is hell? It is the scary place that we were told or a beautiful place with restrictions? The answers to these questions are countless. We can argue all day. But the truth is? No one who has ever went there came here to tell the tale - only the long ago Jesus. Should we believe in that tale?
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Contributor's Note
This article does not encourage hell or depict a lesser heaven. My goal was to make everyone think of the endless possibilities around the two mysterious after-death places. Should we be scared or should we prepare for whatever is there beyond the stars? Beware or Prepare? We'll see.
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