Looking at God, I said, “Lord, I’m so happy to be here.When I return home, I’ll spend my life building a temple where we can worship and praise you.”
“That’s very kind of you,” He said, “but whatever gave you the idea that I dwell in temples or that I want to be worshipped and praised? Look, I really get bored with this praise thing. Instead of building me a temple, why don’t you feed the hungry, help the poor, heal the sick and teach those who want to learn? Wouldn’t that be more useful than a temple?”
God continued, “I’ve invited a number of others to be our guests and to join in our celebration. Let me introduce some of them.” He stood up and pointed to various tables, calling names.”There is Abraham and over there are Moses and Annabelle. Next to them you can see Thomasand Krishna. And over on the other side Rama,Mohammed,Gautama and Jacob. To our right, under that oak tree are Jesus, Peter, Paul,Elizabeth the First, Joan of Arc, Gandhi and Mary of Magdala. Sitting with them are Martin Luther King, Confucius, Jennifer Thompson, Benjamin Franklin and Joseph Rigby. These are some of my children, my friends and helpers. After tea, you should go around and meet them.”
“How can they all be at the same party, Lord?” I asked,”I mean, Krishna and the Buddha conversing with Mohammed and Jesus? And who are Joseph, Jennifer and Annabelle?”
“They’re all created in my image. Each is as important as the other. The famous names, you recognize. The other three, though not mentioned in history books, are still quite as dear to me. They were just simple folks, each one trying to fulfill his or her mission. This is a cooperative universe,not a competitive one, John. For someone to be richer, another doesn’t have to be poorer. For you to be healthy, no one has to be sick. There’s enough and more than enough for everyone. In the game of life, all can win and all can receive prizes.”
“This is important; I’ve got to try to remember it all. Is this a dream or will I forget when I wake up?”
“No, this isn’t a dream. And yes, you’ll forget some, but not all. The important parts will stay in your memory for the rest of your earth life. Tolerance, harmony and understanding, these are some of the important things. Learn to understand yourself and you’ll find it easier to understand everything else.
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