Treasure in Heaven
I grew up in a secular household. What’s worse, my parents demanded I attend church – a Methodist church – for Sunday school and then confirmation, which I did. This all happened a long time ago, and my memories are fading. But I cannot recall my parents ever coming to church. Not on Sundays when I sang in the children’s choir or even on the day I was confirmed.
They had pushed me toward the Christian faith, but they had neither preceded nor followed me. This is by way of saying my parents considered Christianity a path to respectability and not the way to eternal life. On Sundays, they played golf. I took this lesson into my teens and twenties.
After college, I began to take an interest in religion, and I liked talking about it. Dad grew weary listening and asked, “Are there golf courses in heaven, Brad? If you can assure me there are I’ll make a profession of faith.”
We were both exasperated.
Two weeks later, Dad died suddenly. He was 54. I was 23.
