Thursday, October 12, 2017
JUDGMENT DAY
JUDGMENT DAY
By
Francis William Bessler
Laramie, Wyoming
June/July, 2006
Note:
I wrote this in 2006 and shared it with a few among family & friends. I think it worthwhile to share it with the rest of the world as an item in this book - IT'S A NEW DAY-and while doing so, this Blog. Who doesn't wonder about what happens after we die? None of us know for sure, of course, but I do believe it worthwhile to speculate about it; and that is what this article does. Enjoy it as you can and will.
Thanks!
FWB (9/26/2017)
July 22nd, 2006
Hello, Everyone,
My, what difference a life time makes! I think I have always been somewhat comfortable with whatever judgment might come after death, but my ideas about it have changed a good bit as life has pressed on. I suppose that is true with almost everyone. I bet anyone over 21 has changed his or her mind about the notion of judgment and just exactly what it might mean after death.
I suppose it is safe to say that growing up as a Catholic Christian, I believed that judgment is strictly a matter of God deciding if you pass or fail some final exam. There was something about that idea that I still love - because I think I would do alright if such was the case. I mean how could I fail a test of God when all my life I have loved God's creation? Boy, if God were in the judgment seat, I think this Laramie Lad would do alright. I might even be asked to serve at Daddy God's right hand.
Oh, if it were true! But I don't think it is. As I offer in my essay below, I do not see God as a separate Person outside of me anymore. I see God as an Infinity that is In everyone and everything. Accordingly, God cannot be outside of me to judge me. Thus, there goes my childhood fantasy of receiving oodles of attaboys from God. Oh, well! I guess the fantasy did no harm.
Realistically, however, if Daddy God is not likely to be there to hand me some after death final exam when I die, what will happen? That is what my essay below is about. Keep in mind, it is all speculation. None of us who are reading this have died to return and tell us the truth. So not a single one of us really knows for sure just what is in store for us when we do die. But I think it is worth while to speculate intelligently about it; and that is all I am doing in my essay below.
Hope you can somewhat enjoy my speculation about JUDGMENT DAY. I even offer a kind of funeral song at the end.
What Happens After Death?
Written June 1st, 2006
I am reading a fine book now by a Danielle Steel that is called FINE THINGS.. It’s about a guy by the name of Bernie Fine. I am on about page 200 of a 415 page book; and I think that Bernie is about to lose his wife of several years to cancer. Liz Fine has bone cancer; and I am almost sure that Danielle Steel is going to have her die of that cancer. Of course, it is a touching tale. Earlier this morning, I sat in Burger King reviewing her predicament and chose to cower in my booth to avoid being seen, mildly weeping. I do not want Liz to die; but, of course, she will – if not by page 250, probably shortly after that. I suppose the book is about Bernie and how he will deal with life once Liz has left the scene. He will have to raise their two kids – Jane, age of 8, and Alex, age of 1.
So, let us assume that Liz dies. It is all speculation, of course, but what do you suppose happens to Liz – or to the soul of Liz – upon her leaving her body? Lots of folks live in dread of what will happen when they die; but personally, I don’t think Liz or any of us should worry much about it.
Realistically, given that Liz has a soul that is occupying her cancerous body, what is likely to happen when she dies? Whatever happens to Liz probably happens to us all. I suspect that her soul will lift out or lift up from her body – leaving her body and Bernie and the kids, Jane and Alex, behind. I suspect that if Liz is greeted by any fellow souls, it will be by kindred souls – souls who share in whatever compassion level Liz lived. I might be wrong about that; but as I see it, Liz should have nothing to fear in terms of encountering souls who do not share her compassion or kindness level.
Some might think that even if Liz was kind in her life within a body, she might be met by a bunch of mean souls. Let’s call them devils. Perhaps, but I really doubt it. It is said that likes attract; and my guess is that is especially so with souls free of bodies. Of course, I have no way of proving my suspicion is true; but it just seems like it would be true to me – based on my experiences during life. I just cannot see myself having to encounter a bunch of mean souls once I have lifted from my body because I do not believe in mean and try to deal in life without meanness. It is really a stretch for me to imagine that when I die, my soul will encounter souls that are not like me.
I don’t think anything really happens different than what we know when we die. I will just continue with the same temperament with which I lived – that is, if I really have a soul. If I do not have a soul and I completely disappear when I die, then I don’t suppose it will matter at all how I lived; but given that I do have a soul and that part of me continues on, I suspect it will be almost like I never died. I will just keep on being me.
My guess is that a lot of folks do not agree with this scenario. I think many – if not most – think that Judgment amounts to being judged by someone or something after death. Most conjecture that the someone of Judgment is God; but I have passed that notion a long time ago.
As I see it, God must be Infinite. That means, in practice, that God is everywhere and in everything. How can it be different if God is Infinite – or without bounds? If God is in me – even after I die – that pretty much leaves out the possibility of being judged by God when I die. Doesn’t it? How can something judge me that is inside of me? I cannot imagine it. So, I do not much consider Judgment by God at all likely.
Then there is the Terrible Judgment of Jesus or Jehovah or Mohammed or Allah that some fear. I am not much familiar with Jehovah or Mohammed or Allah, but the Jesus that I know was not into judgment during his life. So I cannot imagine that he would be into judgment later. It is not consistent to think it could be otherwise. I do not think that Jesus much cared in life about judging me – just counseling me as a friend. If I meet with Jesus after I die, the chance is not good at all that I will encounter someone out to judge me. So, Judgment by Jesus is almost as far fetched as Judgment by God is.
When Liz dies on page 240 or on whatever page she dies, my guess is she will just keep on keeping on – given she has a soul that survives death. Will she meet with Jesus? Perhaps, but I suspect there will be no chance of that if she did not live like Jesus when she lived. Will I meet with Jesus when I die? Perhaps, but I suspect there will be no chance of that if I did not live like Jesus when I lived; and, of course, the same goes for you and everyone. If it’s so that likes attract, I suspect that only those will encounter Jesus when they die who lived like Jesus when they lived.
Of course, I could be wrong. Maybe I will encounter some mean souls when I die; and those mean souls might want to take me wherever it is that mean souls go. That is a possibility; but as I see it, it is definitely not a probability because it has not been my experience in life.
Maybe I live a sheltered life, but in life I do not seek out mean souls and refuse to deal with them when I meet them. I just walk away from meanness and try not to become mean myself – by advertently or inadvertently becoming mean to avenge another’s meanness. I do not think that becoming mean to avenge meanness is the path of a wise soul.
Be that as it may, I live my life determined not to be mean – for any reason. Thus, in life I cannot be mean to attract other mean souls. Why should it be different upon death? I doubt I will be met by any mean souls when I die, but if I am, I will just do the same as I have done in life – I will just walk away from them – or if I am an angel, maybe I will fly away from them.
If I were to rate the possibility of my having to encounter mean souls when I die, I would rate the possibility as being no more than 1 of 10 – based upon my experience during life. Maybe that is just wishful thinking, but I would rate the probability of my not encountering mean souls when I die – since I have not lived mean – as being more like 9 of 10. The probability of my having to encounter souls who are not like me is almost zilch. Likewise, the probability of my encountering only fellow kind souls is almost zenith.
So, for me, what is JUDGMENT DAY! It is only continuing with the same temperament that I had before I died. That makes it really simple. All I have to do to assure a wonderful JUDGMENT DAY when I die is to live like everyday is JUDGMENT DAY.
If I think that being revenge minded is so ideal, then I will probably encounter other revenge minded souls when I die – maybe even those that I may have maimed or murdered – or executed – or allowed to be executed. If I think that being justice minded is so ideal, then I will probably encounter other justice minded souls when I die. If I insist that I should treat others mercilessly who may have transgressed decency during life, then it is likely I will continue with my judgment of mercilessness after I die; but I should keep in mind, those with whom I will be companions will probably also be merciless. The choice is mine in terms of the companions I may have. If I think that life is sordid and insist on believing so when I live, then I can almost be assured that when I die, I will be met by fellow sinners. The choice is mine.
If I sin during life, then sinning will be my way after I die; but if I do not sin in life, then sinning will not be my way after I die. If you seek to be mean, then you will likely have mean companions. If you seek to be mild, then you will likely have mild companions. Pretty simple, huh?
I think that Judgment is only having to continue as I am. That is probably all it is. I like Liz a lot. She is a real sweetie. I try to be too. So maybe when I die, I won’t be met by the devil, Lucifer. Maybe I will be met by the angel, Liz. Suppose? If souls do survive death, then it is likely that my soul will be met by some other soul when I die – or community of souls; but if so, it will probably be only one or ones like me.
I guess that would be to say that if I want to be joined by kind companions when I die, then I better be kind while I live. Why should I expect to be met by kind companions upon my own little JUDGMENT DAY if I did not live kind during life? Of course, if life in the hereafter does not follow my scheme of likes attract to each other, then it might happen that I will fall in with kind companions even though I lived mean; but as I see it, that is not at all probable. Yes, it might happen, but how smart is it to live my life hoping it will happen? Perhaps it is the non-gambler in me, but personally I think it is much wiser to live my life according to what is probable – not just possible.
Given, then, that I have a soul that will survive my body when it dies, the absolute best way to prepare for my own JUDGMENT DAY is to live my life according to the kind of companions I most prefer. If I love the justice type, then that is all I have to be. If I love the merciless type, then that is all I have to be. If I love the gentle type, then that is all I have to be, etc.
According to the way I am, I will be; and as I am and will be – so, too, will be my companions on my own JUDGMENT DAY! At least, it would seem so to me.
So, what’s to fear? Right? Let me now – this day and this day forward – choose my future companions to likely appear with me on my own JUDGMENT DAY by conducting myself as I might want my companions to conduct themselves – and Presto, it will probably happen.
Thanks for listening!
Francis William Bessler
Laramie, Wyoming,
June 1st, 2006
A kind of “funeral song” follows.
OH, DEATH!
A Funeral Song
By
Francis William Bessler
July 19th, 2006
Oh, Death, take me by the hand.
Oh, Death, help me to understand.
Oh, Death, I know through your open door
I will be free to be me forever more.
Oh, Life, I see you in the trees.
Oh, Life, each Spring, your trees turn green.
Oh, Life, is there such a thing as death –
for when we die, we find another breath.
Oh, Love, my choice of you decides.
Oh, Love, by you, I will abide.
Oh, Love, with you I am one
with what I choose to be as I continue on.
Oh, Fate, I have you in my control.
Oh, Fate, you cannot depress my soul.
Oh, Fate, I know I cannot be
different than I am when life returns in me.
Oh, Time, I thank you for this chance.
Oh. Time, with you, my soul will dance.
Oh, Time, you are such a friend to me –
and when you’re done, my virtue will succeed.
Oh, God, my heart goes out to You.
Oh, God, my love for You is true.
Oh, God, I see You in everything –
and that’s what makes this soul want to sing.
Oh, Death, take me by the hand.
Oh, Death, help me to understand.
Oh, Death, I know through your open door
I will be free to be me forever more.
Yes, I will be free to be me forever more.
So, don’t weep for me –
for I am free – forever more.