Fear and familiarity.

A good nights rest.

According to the American Indian author Vine Deloria Jr. “Religion is for people who’re afraid of going to hell. Spirituality is for those who’ve already been there.” There’s some truth to this observation so long as you’re of a mind that it’s better to make the best out of the “what is” rather than to dwell on the fear of the “what might be.” As far as anyone knows, there haven’t been many who’ve visited and returned from the mythical bowels of hell and reported on the weather (even though sometimes it seems like a few demons reside in Washington).

There’s a downside to living in fear of suspected fire and brimstone as a consequence for not toeing the mark. MT captured the essence of the tradeoff succinctly: “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” And he links that fear together with one of the “Thou shalt not’s”: giving false testimony against ones neighbor. It’s always tricky to remember the twists and turns we invent to cover our backsides—“Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.” The mental fatigue of remembering how to untangle that web is tiring. MT’s sapient formula for getting a peaceful nights rest is this: “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.” 

So there you have it. Tell the truth and sleep well, or do the opposite and have a sleepless night in the hot place.