Hope of deliverance

There he is. At one look at the smile and the curling of the right lip, I knew it is him. Phew, it has been 20 years. That is how long I have not seen him. Gosh! Has it been that long? That droopy eyes are still there. The worry lines had increased. Boy, he sure looks tired. Tired perhaps of putting all of the world’s worries on his shoulders.

We are meeting after all these years at a Christmas party of a mutual friend. We both have been embroiled in own commitments that old friends took a back seat and new ones stay distant, in distance and geniality. As before, many years ago in our young adulthood, oblivious to the general public who were wishing each others wishes of the occasion and engaged in meaningless cursory banters, we found ourselves a cosy, quiet corner to continue what we used to enjoy all the time, a serious discourse on the purpose and meaning of life.

My friend’s childhood is a tale of survival and fighting against all odds to stay afloat in life. For him, phrases like life is a beach, live to eat and express yourself were all meaningless slogans to excite the day of the rich who want to find a more creative way to burn their hard earned money. He discovered that the good word of God gave him that tuft of hope to look forward to things in life.

Now, in the twilight years of his life, he finds contentment in having achieved unimaginable feats. With his success in life, he managed to help his siblings and their family members. He is the saviour of his kins.

He is a happy man, contented that his leap in faith has produced two successful children with exemplary ethics and status in life. He thanks God for His guidance. He sowed the seed of religion in his children which he believes make them the successful people they are today. In return, he is now returning the favour by doing God’s job on earth by spreading the good word.

For him, the Big Book is very clear on everything. God had set the laws, and we are to follow it. We are too feeble minded to ask questions.

Along the course of our conversation, we discussed the Pope and the blatant deviant sexual behaviour that is accepted as the norm in modern society. Again, for him, the Book is very clear on this. God has shown His displeasure on this subject, and it is our duty to follow. Deviant sexuality can be ‘corrected’ if we try.

He is a happy man, having reached his stature, from the lowest of the lowest heap of society, living on crumbs to the highest of the pile, comfortable in his own way. Good luck to him. He believes that everything has a purpose in life, if we try hard enough, the answers will be spoken to us through the scriptures.

I wanted to him that many religious fanatics also have an unshakable delusion around them that they are the chosen one to do His job. But then, I did not. After all, every strand of belief is just the hope of deliverance from the darkness and uncertainties that surround us!