Holy Week Greetings

Whenever things look darkest and I can't imagine how I'll possibly find anything to post ever again, something calls along and fills the need, and thankfully this time it came in the apparently innocuous form of a mass email forwarded from a friend. (Thanks, Diane.)

Undoubtedly someone will tell me it's beeen circulating the Net since 1998, but I haven't seen it before so I expect that at least one of you hasn't either. Those of you who've seen it before, shut your eyes.

An atheist was walking through the woods. "What majestic trees! What
powerful rivers! What beautiful animals!" he said to himself.

As he strolled along the sparkling water, he heard a rustling in the bushes
behind him. Turning quickly, he saw a seven-foot grizzly bear charging toward
him.

He ran as fast as he could up the path, but looking over his shoulder he
could see that the bear was gaining on him. When he looked again, the great
beast was even closer! Just then he tripped and fell to the ground.
He rolled over frantically trying to arise but saw the bear towering over
him,reaching for him with his left paw, right paw ready to slash with
terrible claws!! He screamed, "Oh, MY God!!"

Time stopped.

The bear froze.

The forest was silent.

As a bright light shone from the sky, a deep voice thundered, "You! You
deny my existence for all these years, teach others that I do not exist,and
even credit creation to cosmic accident! Do you really expect me to
help you out of this awful predicament ? Am I now to count you as a
beleiver?"

The atheist looked into the great light. "No, it would be hypocritical of
me now to suddenly ask acceptance as a Christian, BUT perhaps you could
make that BEAR a Christian?"

"Very well," said the Voice. And the light went out. The sounds of the
forest came alive again. And the bear dropped his right paw, and he brought
both paws together, and bowing his massive head, with great reverance, spoke,

"Bless us, oh Lord, and these thy gifts, which we are about to receive from thy bounty, through Christ our Lord, Amen."

I also like this from The Anchoress. Make sure to read the italicized part uunder "More nun stuff."

PS: For those who wonder, I'm not a Christian. I've tried and it hasn't worked. I'm not an observing Jew either (though I am a pretty observant Jew). I try to recognize holiness when it appears, though.