Face to face with Paul ... and Thomas

 

It just happened so quickly. Unexpected. One minute I was OK and the next I was at the Pearly Gate. Hoping to enter Heaven. An Angel there checked my identity and then led me to an interview room. It was empty apart from a computer on a desk. The Angel said that St Peter was busy and someone else would soon attend to me.

Moments later two men came in. They looked like from the New Testament by the way they dressed and by their beards. They introduced themselves as Paul and Thomas. I smiled feebly.

They tried in vain to get the computer to work. Paul slapped it hard on the side but nothing happened. It would not start. They lamented the old days when they had large tomes and everything was written on it in indelible ink. 

They searched in an old shoebox for any notes which Saint Peter had left about me. 

"Ah ... here's something," said Thomas, "let me see. It says here you're a regular sinner. Wobbly faith. And ..."

They both read the note quietly and then Paul asked, "Why do you want to get into Heaven?"

"To be with God for eternity," I replied eagerly.

"And what makes you think He wants to be with you for eternity?" asked Thomas.

It was like a double act. Abbott and Costello. Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Laurel and Hardy. They looked at each other. Threw my notes away and started the interview.

"It said in your notes that you have a wobbly faith. Whenever things go wrong, you hesitate and doubt. What do you say about that?" asked Thomas.

I hesitated. I did not want to remind him of his nom-de-plume being Doubting Thomas in case that ruined my chances to enter Heaven.

"See ... you're hesitating right now," said Paul, "you must be direct. Act forthrightly ... with determination!"

Again, I kept quiet. I remember reading that before he fell off his horse on the way to Damascus he was forthright enough at persecuting Christians. I did not want to say anything because he was bigger than me.

"Let's give you a chance," said Thomas, "you can throw a dice ... here it is ... if you get any number from 1 to 5 you're not entering Heaven. You're going down with no parachute!" 

My lips trembled. I did not like the odds. I mumbled ..."what if I throw a 6?" I asked.

"You get to throw the dice again," said Paul.

It was obvious they had rehearsed this routine before. I felt a cold sweat on my brow.

That's when they turned serious.

"Look ..." said Paul gently, "God's invitation is open to everyone. He loves us all and He wishes we all love Him back, obey His Commandments and accept Jesus His Son as our Saviour. We are all sinners. I more than most. This is all we have to do to enter Heaven!"

I smiled weakly.

"We have all sinned in our life," continued Thomas still in the double act mode yet seriously this time, "God understands our weakness. He forgives time and again. Just like Jesus forgives time and again since He walked on earth, and now every day when He sees the wounds on His body which He suffered for us."

He stopped for a second or two then said, "God will forgive, as long as we repent honestly and want to be forgiven. Ask Peter about that when you meet him!"

I smiled again at this hint of a good outcome for me.

"Now wake up from your dream and tell everyone about it," said Paul.