> > I love this life and the people in it, but I'm not
> >so fond of this world. I have a job to do in the
> >here and now, and I'm not only happy to do it but
> >find satisfaction in having the sense of purpose of
> >knowing what that job is. Still, if Christ came
> >tomorrow, it wouldn't be too soon.
> >
> > S "Nearer, My God, To Thee" am
>
> Wow. That sounds horribly depressing. If that's the kind of zest for living that being a Christian has given you, I think I'm kind of glad I passed that all up.

I didn't say I wanted to die *now*. Definitely not. But let's face it. This world is brutal. Every time you turn on the news, somebody's drowning their children (a recent New Hampshire news story), or beating up people in the streets, or dealing to kids, and on and on. The most significant news day (for Americans) in the past year involved the senseless deaths of thousands.

I am simply looking forward to the time when that will stop. As for the good things in the world that make life worth living...well, I get to keep those.

As for preferring to die at 70 rather than 90, eh, that's probably just how I feel at the moment. I have no idea what it's like to be 70, and moreso I don't know what *I'll* be like at 70. Three of my four grandparents are in their eighties now and, generally speaking, in excellent health -- I'd be fine with that. I just don't want to be kicking around for years after I stop being able to function well.

Finally, the "if Christ came tomorrow" comment was truly "if Christ's second coming were tomorrow," not "if I got run over by a truck tomorrow." I definitely have no wish to die prematurely. If something terrible happened, well, ok, that's the way life is. But I'm far from ready *now*.