Editor,
From an early age I learned life is not certain. Tomorrow is not guaranteed to any of us. From my early childhood on, my mother took me with her to many funerals of relatives, friends and neighbors. I am glad I was not shielded from the reality of death. At the age of 13 I stood by the bedside of my dear granny as she died of cancer at 89.
I want to be humble in all of life. I often say I aim to do, or to go; if I am alive and able ... In one moment when we least expect it, our lives can end and all our future plans evaporate.
Forty-eight years ago, as a young Christian pastor, I sincerely preached about life beyond the grave. I had not yet learned or dared to question deeply.
Now agnostic, I belong to no religion. From the beginning of the human family, people have swallowed and believed all kinds of weird stupidity, attractive lies and myths.
We all can often feel like shipwrecked orphans on the cosmic ocean on a dark and stormy night. I understand well why people grab on desperately to religion for meaning, security, connection, forgiveness and answers.
No one on Earth wants to be reunited forever with his or her loved ones and all people in a much better world beyond death more than I do. I strongly want that, but wanting something fervently does not make it so. I do not know. One thing worse than not knowing if life continues beyond the grave would be to pretend to myself or to others that I do know.
I constantly collect wisdom from everyone in order to live it and to pass it on. All my friends and my enemies are my teachers — both on how to live and how not to live. I am deeply indebted to many people who have loved me, taught me and inspired me.
Don Schrader
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