Tsunami

I was standing in line at the information desk at the bank, facing people in the same queue moving towards the same counter but in a different direction. The winding queue was long and crawling slowly towards our common goal. If there is one thing that I hate, it is standing in a queue doing nothing but wait. Gradually the end of the line was in sight and suddenly the miserable feeling of waiting in line was replaced by a feeling of joy and relief – I had reached the counter at last!

“Sorry, sir, but you’ve been standing in the wrong queue. You need to go to another department first.”

“NO! Why don’t you have the proper signs here?”

All living creatures are standing in a queue moving towards the end of their lives. Everyone has a final destiny. If we would look at ourselves however, it seems we are living as if our end would never arrive. It is understandable because who would want to think of the end of life when life is great?

On Friday the 11th of March 2011 an 8.9 tremor struck Japan, unleashing 10 meter tsunamis along its pacific coast. It has been reported that the tsunami travels at a speed of 800 km per hour. That would be the fastest way of reaching the end of line for thousands.

Warnings were issued but time was running out too fast to get out of the way. On television I saw people frantically driving up and down in their cars, looking for escape routes until they were overcome by the wave and swept away. The end of the line had suddenly arrived for them.

The biggest question though, is whether they reached the counter they were hoping to reach. Or did they hear a voice telling them, “Sorry sir, before you can enter into heaven, you had to meet the Saviour first.”

“Where can I find Him?”

“Sorry again, sir, your time is up. Your account is closed. You’ll be ushered to the only counter left, hell.”

Most of us are so glad we are living in South Africa. Although we have a vast stretch of coastline, the chances of being hit by a tsunami are slim, or so we hope.

However, end of lines are reached daily in many ways. Accidents, heart attacks or sudden illnesses are only a few tsunamis present in our life. The most important question is whether we are standing in the right queue.

Mario Marchio’ wrote a story about a man who needed to extend his bank balance. I would love you to read his story bearing the title “Time’s up”