March 13, 2012
Dear Alejo,
I wanted to ask you about a statement you made discussing the "Kingdom of Heaven" and the "Kingdom of This World". When discussing the Kingdom of Heaven you said, "In the Kingdom of Heaven there is no grandeur to be won, inasmuch as there all is an established hierarchy, the unknown is revealed, existence is infinite, there is no possibility of sacrifice, all is rest and joy" (185). When i look at this passage I immediately envision a literal Kingdom of Heaven where the Lord Jesus Christ rules over the Heavens and earth and sits upon His throne governing all creation. I see a place that has golden arches at its entrance with His angels guarding the gate so that not just anyone can enter. I also envision a beautiful town with the prettiest buildings that are covered in gold and silver that are filled with multitudes of God's people within it. As I walk through the town I see those who have followed the ways of the Lord that are filled with a sense of joy and peace that abounds no end. As I get towards the end of the town I see endless plains of golden wheat that is ready to be harvested with a man standing in the middle of field. The man is dressed in white robes with golden tassels and is calling me over to tell me that I do not have to suffer anymore because I am in a place of eternal peace and never ending satisfaction with my Creator. Although this may be my vision of this specific statement, I was not quite sure this is what you had in mind when you wrote it. As I read the context of this specific area in the book I feel quite confident that this is the vision you hope that your readers see. Being a believer myself, I applied this quote to the point I felt you were trying to get across to your readers. Although I felt somewhat comfortable in understanding the beginning of this quote, I could not say the same thing for the rest of the quote. "For this reason, bowed down by suffering and duties, beautiful in the midst of his misery, capable of loving in the face of afflictions and trials, man finds his greatness, his fullest measure, only in the Kingdom of This World" (185). I find this to be very confusing and even somewhat inaccurate. Are you saying that man is only capable to find his greatest accomplishments in this world? I feel as if you are saying that our only way of finding success is in this lifetime alone. When I read this quote I immediately think of the complete opposite in that we don't find success in this lifetime, but we find it in the next life if we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Success to me isn't determined on what is important in this lifetime such as money or fame, but success is how you bring glory and honor to the Kingdom of Heaven. I heavily disagree that we find our "fullest measure" in this life but instead we should find this earthly life worth nothing compared to the life ahead. Although this is my personal view on the quote, I still am able to vision what you are trying to get across to the reader and the point you are trying to make. Even though I may disagree with your personal view of these topics, I still believe that you are a great writer and that your work demands respect from those who take the time to read it.


Sincerely,
Paul Son