Eternity.

I recently heard Peter Whittle interview Peter Hitchins ( top photo ) on a podcast. Peter Hitchins is an exceptionally bright individual , journalist, author of 20 books and Daily Mail Columnist. His brother Christopher out of Oxford University was equally highly intelligent with a belligerence that caught my eye shortly before his death in 2011.

However it was Peter who I met one afternoon in Starbucks Summertown Oxford by chance. My wife was with me and we had a fascinating listen to him for one hour. He came across as frustrated more than angry and left me with the thought that he was too bright to govern or be a Political leader.

On the podcast he spoke of the existing stalemate state of Britain the apathy towards all Political parties and the lament that Britain was a divided nation following large scale immigration over the last 30 years. He seemed resigned to a lost Britain or at best a completely different Britain to the one he had grown up in.

At 73 years of age he said that he had given up trying to change things as no one would listen to him and his ideas. He said that now he was interested in other things like Eternity and have returned to his Christian beliefs with the focus on Eternity for ‘ let’s face it I don’t have that much time left ‘

One comes of an age where looking back is longer than looking forward , the runway of life shortens as we wait for take off. I understand like many that they reach a point where they realise that they will not leave a mark other than their local legacy with their family and that the great influence on others is not them.

There are some of course who don’t have a faith to believe in Eternity and that is sad because I believe that we who believe will occupy a better space and though Eternity is impossible to comprehend it’s out there somewhere and I take comfort in reunion with others. Otherwise we are simply like a decent pair of shoes that perform a function to just wear out.

People as they get old invariably give up but perhaps there is a surrender element to the hope of something else , something better. The Bible says that to God a day is like a thousand years , meaning time has no concept. I like the concept that the train arriving at Platform 8 is Life and the next stop is Eternity , in short we are all on a journey sharing carriages with others. The fact is I have no idea what Eternity looks like and we do not have any reports that we can rely upon.

Meanwhile Peter wants to visit some European cities , go to Art Galleries and some good restaurants. Like Jimmy Carter he could live to 100 but I don’t think he wants to. Death is rarely spoken about as it’s probably not the best topic but the fact is it’s coming to a place near you there is no forever here on earth. Why oh why therefore do we fight so much for ultimately nothing , shrouds without pockets and memory banks that shut down.

Peter made a great point and it was so refreshing to hear him and hear him say that no one is listening to his opinions . Join the Club guys and find your peace , be ready for take off and enjoy Eternity.