xxxplaining
the other day i watched the 10th year anniversary special for the show 'Inside the Actors Studio' (which is an incredible show for anyone interested in the arts). the interviewer, james lipton, asks each one of his guests "If there is a God, what would you hope that he would say to you if you get to the pearly gates?" which i think is an incredibly interesting question to ask these artists. on this anniversary special they did a recap where they showed all of the interesting answers. there is one that really stuck out to me. robert de niro said, "well, if there is a god, he has a lot of explaining to do."
i think that was a very revealing and honest answer. i believe that is why it stuck with me. i thought about it a lot more after i heard him say it. there must be something(s) in his past that made him feel this way about the idea of there being a God. it interests me. it is a beautiful answer because it is an honest one that exposed his heart even if it was just for one second.
his answer stuck with me and i wonder more and more if, because this obviously comes from a deep emotional area inside of him, it was more of an emotional statement than a well thought out one.
here is how i see it:
if there is a god, then i am the one who has the fucking explaining to do (why didnt i live like there was a god? why did i look for him more? what have i done to fulfill the purpose in which the stroke of his brush that became my life was intended for?). i mean, if there is a god (being in the definition that i know it by), then that means that he is all knowing and eternal. just by those two defining qualities, i have been reduced to nothing.
first off, if i were to be at the 'pearly gates' and God was going to speak to me, i would hope that i would be at my most humble state and would be listening with all of both of my ears, without any expectation. because, just for God to be speaking to me, singling me out, is like him walking on all of the beaches that are on earth and picking up one pebble of sand and paying attention to it. he is eternal. he knows everyone who came before me and who will come after me. who am i to be demanding explanation from him? who am i to be demanding anything from him? i am a speck of sand on a beach that stretches thousands of miles long and i am only going to be buried under more and more sand.
so, if i get to the pearly gates and God speaks to me, what would i want him to say?
...
"i like what youve done with the place.
i am looking forward to the time that we are going to spend together here.
i forgave you for the things you did that i didnt like.
welcome."
truthfully, anything that God would have to say to me, i would love to hear. i am sure that someone who created all of this and exists beyond the bounds of time must have the most beautiful voice and i would love to hear him use it.
i think that was a very revealing and honest answer. i believe that is why it stuck with me. i thought about it a lot more after i heard him say it. there must be something(s) in his past that made him feel this way about the idea of there being a God. it interests me. it is a beautiful answer because it is an honest one that exposed his heart even if it was just for one second.
his answer stuck with me and i wonder more and more if, because this obviously comes from a deep emotional area inside of him, it was more of an emotional statement than a well thought out one.
here is how i see it:
if there is a god, then i am the one who has the fucking explaining to do (why didnt i live like there was a god? why did i look for him more? what have i done to fulfill the purpose in which the stroke of his brush that became my life was intended for?). i mean, if there is a god (being in the definition that i know it by), then that means that he is all knowing and eternal. just by those two defining qualities, i have been reduced to nothing.
first off, if i were to be at the 'pearly gates' and God was going to speak to me, i would hope that i would be at my most humble state and would be listening with all of both of my ears, without any expectation. because, just for God to be speaking to me, singling me out, is like him walking on all of the beaches that are on earth and picking up one pebble of sand and paying attention to it. he is eternal. he knows everyone who came before me and who will come after me. who am i to be demanding explanation from him? who am i to be demanding anything from him? i am a speck of sand on a beach that stretches thousands of miles long and i am only going to be buried under more and more sand.
so, if i get to the pearly gates and God speaks to me, what would i want him to say?
...
"i like what youve done with the place.
i am looking forward to the time that we are going to spend together here.
i forgave you for the things you did that i didnt like.
welcome."
truthfully, anything that God would have to say to me, i would love to hear. i am sure that someone who created all of this and exists beyond the bounds of time must have the most beautiful voice and i would love to hear him use it.