Life without end at last

I went to a movie tonight at the Living Room Theaters a kind of high end theater that shows I guess artsy movies. So the movie was Save Me about a Christian re-programming space for gay young males. I didn’t mind the context and I didn’t celebrate too much that this is a message that should be heard that there are youth being coerced into falsifying their gayness. What I don’t like is how simple minded they make the supposed extreme set seem. There is a lot of caricature that happens in these depictions. They have them singing hymns and don’t concentrate on what the songs focus on and how much these lyrics mean to the individuals. I didn’t enjoy the depictions of the simple mindedness of those that have spiritual beliefs. It should be noted that I am an atheist and have no spiritual sort of beliefs. I do enjoy hearing people speak with passion though, even when the beliefs differ greatly from my own.

I remember singing the song “Life without End at Last” on several occasions as a disfellowshipped young 20 year old and it was painful. Even though I didn’t believe in the life having no end mantra I did miss those that did believe, that is what I had. Growing up as a Jehovah's Witness this was one of the key songs, number 15, that everyone knew. For the most part people would be looking up versus down during this song because everyone knew the lyrics and maybe that was a way of displaying sameness as far as devotion went. The lyrics really are great and really hopeful, "Man and Beast Living in Peace, cause no harm to each other, food will be there, all will share, Life without end at last. Sing out with joy of heart, you too can have a part, live for the day when you'll say Life Without End at Last." I think they are powerful lyrics still, even without the belief system. I remember crying at a District Convention in Tacoma when we sang this song while I was disfellowshipped (no one could talk to me because I was considered bad association). I wasn't crying because I didn't think I would be able to share in a hope of everlasting life. I was crying because of the camaraderie this song brings among people of this faith.

I would like for a movie to come out that showed people of fervent religious beliefs that didn’t make them seem psychotic. Life did seem very normal growing up as a Jehovah's Witness because of course normal is based on touchstones and since this is what I knew this is what normalcy would be based. I do miss the ease sometimes of having a faith, an assured expectation, even if the expectation is just to have others around you that can sing heads held high the lyrics to familiar songs. Hearing this song again did make me a bit misty eyed because how can I ever discount anyone's hope.

Although, I am glad JW's don't vote because it's easier to respect people's faith when it doesn't interfere with my own personal rights.