It's How (not If) We Live That Counts

By Author: Thom Rutledge
Total Articles: 2
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I have this little fantasy about dying one day, going to heaven, or wherever God holds the post-earth-life Q& A sessions, and finally learning what it is all about. After years to consider and hone the one question I will ask God if I am granted such an opportunity when my Thom Rutledge life has run its course, I have decided upon that precise wording: What was that all about? That is what I will ask God if given the chance, and that is what I ask God in my little fantasy. As I step up in line, ready to ask my question, I am of course betting that the answer will be something to do with and the greatest of these is love, (The Apostle Paul, 1Corinthians, Ch 13, verse 13) or in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make. (The Beatle Paul, Abbey Road, Final Track) When I reach the front of the line and ask my finely tuned question, God replies concisely, as God tends to do both in my imagination and in real life. Here is the conversation: (Don't blink; it goes by really fast.) Me: What was that all about? God: Cars and money. Me:Crap! This little scene serves two purposes for me. First, to entertain ...
... my very-easy-to-entertain self, and second, to represent my fear of missing the point. The fear of missing the point is a very legitimate fear. In fact, it may be the only legitimate fear. In the continuing wake (read: tidal wave) of last month's terrorist attacks on the United States, we hear story after story of courage in the face of great danger and not-so-good odds. I have asked myself, Would I have acted as admirably as these good people? Of course I want to think I would, but I cannot predict the future, and I think it would be a mistake to underestimate the power of the self-preservation reflex given imminent danger. I do believe that to not act as these otherwise ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances have acted would certainly be a classic case of missing the point. And I believe that regardless of how I might or might not have acted on September 11, 2001 had I been aboard Flight 93, speeding across Pennsylvania air space, aimed at a Washington D.C. target, for instance, the likelihood of my acting with that level of courage at some future time has been significantly increased thanks to their example. How I might (or you might) act in some future extreme circumstance is very likely never to be known. But how we act today will be known, maybe to other people, but most definitely to myself and God. The displays of courage in our day to day lives will for the most part not be dramatic or flashy --- not remarkable at all --- but these are the choices of behavior that will determine whether or not we ultimately get it, or miss the point. And I'm pretty sure it ain't about money and cars. Thom Rutledge is a psychotherapist and author of several books. His new book, Embracing Fear, will be available June 2002.
Contact: thomrut@us.inter.net, or
www.webpowers.com/thomrutledge.