Book 16, Blog 2

This story is incredibly enjoyable! Both hilarious and touching, it compels me to experience Elner's world as well as to reflect on the joyful and important things in my own sphere of influence. One passage in which a character reflects on her appreciation of sunrise and sunset (thanks to Elner) touched my heart and made me remember someone who had a similar impact on my life.

I have been moved to tears more than once, but not out of sorrow. Rather, I am touched at the happiness and joy of reflecting on a life well spent.

That having been said, I do have a few issues with Elner's encounter with "god". While it is a lovely concept that the afterlife would be a familiar place (an old friend's home) with familiar faces ("god" takes on the image of people Elner knew in life), there is a lot of politically correct pandering in these moments of the god interview.

It's fiction...I get it. However, I have a hard time when writers take artistic liberties with people, places, beings, etc. that are very real (in my humble yet accurate opinion). I can read her account of an encounter with god and smile at it, but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Yet another attempt at relativism and the general laid-back approach to Truth.

I still like this book. I am only suggesting that I would like it more if we were left with less about Elner's afterlife experience and more of the reflections her friends and family have on her life. In my opinion, stories written in this way are done so in an attempt to make us all feel better about getting older and facing our own mortality. I don't want to be made to feel better about myself - I want to be told the Truth. That's Truth - as in Absolute Truth, not relative truth.

And what is the Truth? Well, it boils down to Grace and Mercy...not doom and gloom. It is full of love and peace and leaves no room for hatred, bigotry and any other form of sin. Forgiveness - it is divine. Heaven is real. God is real. But the Truth does make people uncomfortable, especially when it shows us (all of us...myself included) where we fall short...extremely short; and the repercussions of that. But just because I'm uncomfortable or even offended by the Truth doesn't make it any less true.

I only hope that anyone reading this blog sees my heart and doesn't misunderstand what I am saying. The ideas that Fannie Flagg puts forth in Elner's encounter with god are, for the most part - loving and hopeful. But if you're looking to this encounter to prepare you to meet god someday...just remember...it's fiction.