Letter to God from Bernie Siegel, MD

Dear God,

First I want to thank You for answering my previous letters. When as a doctor I couldn’t understand why You made a world filled with disease, war, cruelty and all kinds of difficulties You pointed out to me that a perfect world is not creation. That there would be no need for doctors or anyone else and we would all become totally bored by life and find it meaningless. I remember You saying it would be far worse than a spending a lifetime in Hawaii. But what really made the point for me was your letting me visit the Garden of Eden.

When I saw all the traffic backed up at street corners because everyone was saying, “I love you. You go first.” “No you go first. I love you.” Everybody was loving everyone else and no one was going anywhere. I saw what a problem a supposed perfect world would be and got the point.

Then when I wondered why children died and animals didn’t live as long as people and all living things didn’t get the chance to live to a ripe old age you explained again. It was easy to understand from my experience with our pets that they do not need as much time as people do to learn about love, compassion, kindness, faith and hope.

Understanding that every life is like a candle and the length of the candle isn’t about one’s age but about how much time we would spend on this planet. And our job was to illuminate the path for ourselves and others and not worry about how much time we had but to get the job done and burn up and not out before our time.

You also agreed with me and explained how disappointed You were with what religions were doing in your name. Instead of living the message they were fighting wars and each one was claiming you belonged exclusively to them.  So here is my next question. What is the best way for me to accomplish what You have put us here to accomplish? I know I am here to serve and offer my body for the benefit of others but how do I know I am doing it right? Please be my coach and give me some guidance. You know what that word means to me God U & I Dance. So how do I dance to your music?

I love hearing your voice when I am quiet inside. Thanks, now I see I am to imitate God and use You for a role model and you said if that is a little tough there are two other examples. One is WWLD and the other is WWWD.  You know I’m not good at parables please explain.

Oh, I’m to act like a Satellite dish, remote control and TV screen. I get it. I am to choose the channel I tune into and use my mind like a remote to select the proper channel, which is broadcasting your message, and use my body to demonstrate it like a TV screen reveals the program. So what’s with the WW stuff?

Oh those are my role models to help me become the person I want to be. I see What Would Lassie Do and What Would Water Do? I get the first one that’s easy to understand because animals are complete and man is not. So when I feel aggressive I am to use the energy to play or get some work done and not hurt anyone, but what’s with the water thing?

Oh, I am like water and again and again will be born on the wheel of rebirth. Just as streams of water find their way over and around obstacles to rejoin the sea of life I will find my path in life and flow with it and when I become vapor or mist I will come to understand that I will return to earth as rain does and be born again. And if I learn what I am here to learn when I am born again I will help to teach others how to become co-creators of a world filled with faith, hope and love for all things. Thanks again for being my coach.

P.S. And thanks for teaching me about life being a series of beginnings. To say the beginning instead of the end when I finished my report to you and the board of directors was a unique experience but as you say graduations are called commencements, not terminations and the Bible ends with a Revelation and not a conclusion. So I shall see life as a series of beginnings. Thanks again.