A Story
One day, a young man was given the opportunity to communicate with God. He said, “God allow me to see what hell and heaven is like.”
Then the Lord guided the man to the two doors and then let him look inside. In the center of the room there is a very large round table. In the middle there is a large bowl of soup that smells very delicious. The young man’s saliva flowed from his mouth. The table was surrounded by thin people who looked very hungry.
Each of the men held a spoon tied to each other’s hands. The spoon was long enough to reach the bowl in the center of the table and pick up the delicious soup. But because the spoon is too long, they cannot reach their mouths with the spoon to eat the soup. The young man shuddered at the suffering and misery in the room.
“You have seen hell,” said the Lord.
Then they headed for the second door which turned out to contain a table with soup and people whose condition was exactly the same as the room on the first door. The difference is, in this room these people are able-bodied and contained. They were very excited around the table.
Seeing this situation the young man became confused. He asked, “What’s going on, why in this same room they look more cheerful?”
The Lord explained, “It’s very simple. All it takes is one good trait, to pay attention to these people willingly feeding others that can be accomplished with a long-handled spoon, while in another room, the greedy people are only thinking of their own needs.”
Reflection
This story is very touching. Heaven or hell is created by people themselves. When humans fight each other and are overwhelmed by their individual egoism, the horror situation becomes part of their life. In an atmosphere like this peace is just a false ideals. Therefore, one must leave the atmosphere of contention and selfishness to pass through the situation of hell.
But can people escape from this atmosphere? Is not the temptation of this world so strong, that humans find it difficult to find peace and serenity in this life?
The story of a well-created paradise atmosphere comes from a loving atmosphere. When people have an attitude of mutual care, people will discover how happy life is. Life is truly an opportunity to share life with others. When people help each other, joy will always be a part of human life. Attention to others is the most important part of life.
As believers, we must always create an atmosphere of heaven in our lives. The trick is to create a peaceful atmosphere. We constantly pay attention to our neighbors. Thus, heaven is a part of our lives.
Lord, help us today to live in peace with anyone we meet. There are so many problems that we face every day, but we believe with Your help, we can solve those problems to create that peace. Let your peace overwhelm us throughout the day. Amen.
