As he merged onto the N1 evening traffic, Pieter reflected on a day that had been the pinnacle of his career. His promotion to head of Africa operations of the construction firm had been confirmed and he looked forward to sharing the news with his wife and two teenage girls. The steering wheel of his bakkie looked well worn and he wondered if he should start by upgrading his long serving car. In the lane next to him, the truck driver had been travelling for 12 hours. He needed to make up for lost time if he was to get his trip bonus - his wife had complained that they needed 'new' tin sheets for their patched roof before the rain. Ahead, a young man darted across the N1, dashing to get his daily tik fix. The squealing of brakes quickened him as he narrowly made it, oblivious to the chain of events that he had started. Pieter's bakkie was no match for the fully laden swerving truck...
"You are not supposed to exist!", Pieter said to the figure in front of him, a figure that radiated compassion and tenderness. "Just call me Angel for now",replied the tall being. Pieter glanced around, surrounded by brightness all around. He suddenly remembered Joe, his crazy colleague who he had always debated with about evolution and creation; whether God was a figment of man's imagination; and the book of ancient folk tales that Joe called a bible. Joe had believed that there was more to life and followed the teachings of a Jew, that was controversially called the Messiah and a King. Pieter had laughed at Joe often in their conversations: what sort of king had no throne, didn't even own a chariot and virtually had no possessions to his name. Pieter also remembered the online News24 debates between atheists and Christians that he had eagerly participated in to show his rationality and scientific knowledge. 'God exists only in Hollywood and in the minds of uneducated people' had been his favorite punchline.
Angel brought Pieter back to the present with the request to follow him. Angel showed him a place that caused Pieter to gasp in awe. A river that was clear as crystal - with trees and lush vegetation that beat anything Pieter had ever seen; walls made out of precious stone; buildings and roads of gold as clear as glass; an illuminating glow all round; and a sense of divine presence, love and peace that was tangible. He saw people dressed in a fine, clean and bright linen. How wonderful it would be to dwell with God - the very God he had denied, he thought. It sure would be Hell to be separated from this - from God's presence. Pieter wept. Deep wrenching sobs, a sense of despair that overwhelmingly eclipsed the mourning he had experienced when his mother and father had died unexpectedly when he was in his teens. Angel put his hand on his shoulders gently, "You know from your industry Pieter that when you complete a project you have to give a full account to whoever put you there. Come, the time for judgement is not long now and the books will be opened to search for your name. Jesus is the mediator for those who believed in Him and only He can clear anyone's name. "
"What about me - what if my name is not in the book of life?", Pieter protested as his senses absorbed the heavenly scene in front of him. Angel looked downwards and Pieter followed his gaze. What he saw looked like a beast or demon from the worst horror movie. Pieter shuddered at what seemed like an evil smile calling to him. "Hell no!" Pieter exclaimed. "Hell yes!", replied the creature. Pieter recoiled sharply and turned to Angel, "If I don't measure up, why would a loving God punish me?" Angel explained, "If an imperfect earthly judge is expected to be fair in sentencing wrongdoers, surely God, who is love and perfection, will be even more fair. A god that ignores wrongdoing when he feels like cannot be said to stand for truth and justice".
"It's not fair, why didn't God come to earth so that I would have a better chance of believing in Him?". Angel replied, "But He did, Jesus took on an earthly form and lived among men. He said that He is God and performed many marvellous signs and wonders whilst sharing the good news of His coming. However, people responded with betrayal, beatings and finally by killing Him in a death reserved for the worst of criminals. All this and more was recorded in hundreds of manuscripts and eventually in the Bible". "But that was in Israel 2000 years ago, if he had come to Africa we would have treated him differently.", Pieter protested. Angel chose to answer that with a look of disbelief, "How long will you question God's ways, Pieter? God has been revealing Himself to you for many years, if you had but chosen to open your ears and eyes.".
"Then why did he create suffering in my life?"
Angel answered mysteriously, "What is cold, is it created or is it not rather the absence of heat? Just as darkness is the absence of light. And what is the evil that you experienced, is it not the absence of God's love? Unfortunately man chose a wrong path, his own path that he felt would be better than God's plan, and hence the consequences of living in a broken world. There are consequences when man is separated from his creator".
Pieter was perplexed, "So why did God create free will - surely we could have been spared from having to make wrong choices?" Angel answered with questions, "Pieter, would you force your daughters to love you? Would you want them to be automatons? Surely the relationship you desired was that they lovingly come to you, as their father? Remember the delight you experienced as you watched them rejoicing in your presence and explored life with you. Free will was given for a reason, together with wisdom for those who sought it."
Pieter lamented, "But Christianity always seemed just a set of onerous religious rules!”. Angel looked deeply into Pieter's eyes, "Unfortunately some people distorted God's word. Rules won't save anyone and in any case all men will come short when measured against rules. It's about restoring your relationship with God and believing in the work He did to rescue you. Once you are in relationship with God you follow His direction out of love for Him, not out of forced obligation."
Angel signaled to Pieter that they needed to move along. Pieter said, "I've got a lot more questions. Like what happened to the dinosaurs? Is there life on other planets? Black holes, the contents of an atom and all sorts of complex stuff?" Angel replied in his mysterious manner, "It is for the glory of God to conceal a matter and the delight of scientists in discovering it. We won't spoil the fun by handing all the answers out on a silver platter now, will we. There is all of eternity to explore the marvels of creation - for those who will have the privilege of dwelling with the One who says He is the Beginning and the End, who is and who was and is to come."Suddenly Pieter felt himself fading out.
Back in the hospital, Doctor Viljoen paused over the wire-entangled body of Pieter, who had been in a coma for weeks. Sighing, he decided to turn off the life support - funding really couldn't be wasted on such cases. Progressive legislation had recently made it easier for him to make such decisions. He bitterly remembered the hospital chaplain who had pleaded with him previously in similar cases, saying, "Yes, you have rights as a doctor. But what about the rights of those who cannot speak for themselves? Invalids, unborn babies and the crippled? Are you now God to decide on matters of life and death?" Fortunately, in a landmark ruling, such talk by Christians had been declared as hate speech and they were no longer permitted in public spaces. The collateral effect on media freedom of expression was an unfortunate but necessary consequence of this ruling. Society really had to progress from early national constitutions that had been tainted by ancient religious ideals. After all, so-called moral standards had been proven by scientists to have no evolutionary benefit and simply made people uncomfortable when exercising their freedom. Dr.Viljoen decided to step out for a smoke before sending Pieter on his non-stop way to the grave, to dull that chaplain's voice that kept echoing in his mind. Whilst outside, he heard movement in the ward. Was it the nurses? Or had Pieter's attractive wife come to visit - she was a daily visitor that Dr. Viljoen had made a mental note to invite for coffee after her ordeal was over. Maybe it was that banned chaplain - he often sneaked in to pray over patients. A waste of breath and an illegal disruption to hospital duties, Viljoen wryly thought. Stepping back in, he dropped his dangling stethoscope in shock! The bed Pieter had been in a moment ago was now empty.
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