> SOUTHERN INDIANA — If you plan to go somewhere, then you came from somewhere. Do you know where you came from? Probably not, other than realizing that you are a creation, which is miraculous. Do you realize there is no other creation like you, or me? During any spare time, you might want to try to commune with the force that created you.

Any idea where you’re going? I do. Sorry to bring this up, but death follows life. When that happens about the only remnant remaining of you is your Facebook page. What happens to you then? No one really knows, but we’ve been working on it, applying a passionate mindset known as “hope.” Thinking about death gives me the shivers, but there’s no getting around it, and worrying about it does little good. Surely, there’s a happier topic to write about, but if you think about the reality of death and knew your life would end tomorrow, what would you do today? If you knew someone, who was doomed to die tomorrow, how would you treat that person today? Probably, differently than what we usually do.

Most of those on death row get to select a last meal. How kind and generous of the earthly judge, jury and the executioner to do that. I don’t know what I would do my last day. I’ve always loved to eat, but what would be the point? The point is that a last supper here, doesn’t necessarily rule out continuous suppers somewhere there. An eternal optimist might request, “Oh, just bring me anything, but make it fat-free.”

An eternal optimist is just that — a lover of life believing there is no end. Therefore, death shouldn’t be that big a deal, but this is where faith and hope come in. If a creator created your living body, then what would prevent the creation of a soul to go along with the blob you’re currently responsible for? Some think there is a spirit connecting a body to its soul, while others see you as little more than a speck of dust. If it’s dust in the ultimate plan, then why take the trouble to assemble beings that can laugh and love and send joy to the world?

If you tie these components together — body, mind, heart, soul and spirit — the chances of something beyond look pretty good. Is it necessary to have a functioning brain? Yes and no, but it’s of secondary importance. There is ample evidence you can be brain dead and still possess a spirit, or possessed by somewhat evil spirits. Simply look at those gathered in Washington. They’re possessed with something other worldly. Pray with me that they do possess a soul, or else we’re bordering a deep chasm where hellfire doth creep.

Do you possess a soul, or not? If you do, please define it. Others have. Lao Tzu, a Chinese philosopher in the 6th century B.C., explained, “There is a force which resides in all things, without which there is no heaven or earth. This force cannot be perceived. People try to give it names such as love or intellect, but it has no name. It is very remote from us, and it is closest to us.” Ruskin said the soul is a mirror in which you can see the reflection of the divine intellect. The Talmud states: “You cannot see the soul, but only the soul can see the essence of things.” Tolstoy believed that if in his soul, a person understands God, he understands his connection to all the world’s people.

If I’ve got this right, the soul is very remote from us, but closest to us. It helps us to see the divine, and helps us understand God’s intent to connect us to the world’s people. My goodness, that’s putting a big burden on the lost souls out there. You mean Democrats and Republicans could possibly connect without violence? Could Christians, Jews and Muslims turn swords into plow shares?

 When you’re caught in a boring party, toss the topic of the soul into the conversational pit. Obviously, one’s soul is very close to the center of all the action, so it might be a good way to connect. If friends insist, permit Googling, and when it’s your turn, share Rumi’s take on the heart and soul: “There is a candle in your heart ready to be kindled. There is a void in your soul, ready to be filled. You feel it, don’t you?”

Contact Terry Cummins at TLCTLC@AOL.com.