The story of Everyman

Good afternoon! I was a day latter on my blog than I had anticipated. This is a story I used and I think the name will make sense.

This is the story of Everyman. But, for simple reasons, I will call this man Arthur Dent. Arthur is so preoccupied by the trivialities of life that when the end comes, he is caught completely unaware. The plans of his home destruction have been available for a year and the plans for the destruction of Earth for centuries.

Fortunately, Arthur saves the man who can save him: Ford Prefect. Ford is an alien, who came to earth to conduct research for an article for the “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.”

Yes, this is a fictional story. But, let us examine it for a second. Arthur is much like us: you, me, your neighbors. We are all aware of our impeding doom, our mortal death. This is much like Arthur who should have known his house was going to be destroyed. But, being caught up everyday, has had no time to do anything about it. Church will be there next week, I can go then. But, to some, next week never comes. And when the crew comes, they will quietly lay in front of a bulldozer and argue the fact that they are not ready.

Some of us are like the people in the bar at the destruction of earth: we just quietly put a paper bag over our heads, lay down, and hope for the best.

In our lives, we can relate the destruction of Arthur’s house to our mortal life: it will happen. Maybe not when we want it to, but it will and we are aware it will end. Hopefully, we can avoid earth’s destruction - the spiritual death.

Ford saves Arthur’s life, hitchhiking across a Vogon’s ship and they have an adventure together. Ford is much like the Savior: follow him and avoid the spiritual death. Arthur took a leap of faith with Ford, much like what we must do with Christ. He is there and he will help. "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” (Matt 7:7).

This story also teaches us that not all evil is like the big, scary Vogons. Some of the adversaries greatest tricks is to slowly get us to let go of that rod, that straight and narrow path. It is not always something huge, but, much like our seeds of faith, they, too, are slowly growing and sprouting.

Our guide is not one of hitchhiking or the galaxy, but of life. Our scriptures, our prophets, our teachers are our guides. All things holy from God. At the end of the movie, Arthur is given a choice: return to a new, manufactured earth, representing his prior life, or continue on the “Heart of Gold,” the spaceship, and continue his journey. Also, across the back of the Hitchhiker’s Guide, in bright yellow are the words “Don’t Panic!”