With Outstretched Arms

There is a joke about the afterlife to the affect that when the subject of the joke dies he goes to hell. He finds that he is there condemned to an eternity of having his arms and hands held outstretched at his sides among all the other inhabitants of hell. They are all unable to use their hands to feed themselves. To make their condition worse they are all within arms reach of a banquet table filled with all the finest foods and beverages. Each tries to eat and drink and are all unable to do so. Hence they are all miserable. It seems they are only concerned with getting for themselves in hell.

The picture then changes to Heaven to find a similar scene. The inhabitants there also have their hands and arms held outstretched at their sides. They too are within reach of a banquet table filled with an unimaginable feast. But in Heavens scene the inhabitants are full of joy and laughter. The difference is that in Heaven the inhabitants use their outstretched hands to feed one another.

Now the world has distorted the images of Heaven and hell beyond all recognition of the Biblical images revealed to us, but the joke still contains a good lesson. There are two ways of life, the way of get and the way of give. Both ways are open to us. We have the freedom to choose which way we live, no matter what condition we find ourselves in. The fact is that, no matter how miserable a condition we find ourselves in, we still have it within our power to choose. We can choose the way of getting and seek only for ourselves. Or we can choose the way of giving and thereby uplift others.

Uplifting can be something very simple, like telling someone to have a good day or offering them a drink of water when they are thirsty. Or it can be very profound, like showing mercy or offering forgiveness. Uplifting always involves reaching out to someone else. In reaching out to someone else we acknowledge their existence and their value. In reaching out to someone else we open ourselves and in so doing can be transformed.

While I know that Jesus the Christ was resurrected and now intercedes for us with God the Father as our high priest and is no longer on the cross, I can’t help but to think of Him with outstretched arms hanging on the cross. He reaches out to us, showing mercy and forgiveness. He redeems us, seeing something of value in us, something God deems worthy of eternal life. He set us an example of how to live. He lived the way of give until He gave His last breath…for us.

Each of us has the power to choose the way we meet life, as solitary individuals intent only on getting for ourselves, or as reaching out to others and, in so doing, uplifting our fellow man and becoming a part of something much bigger. God offers us the choice, what we do with it is up to us.