A Priest dies following a road accident & is awaiting his turn in line
at the Heaven's Gates.
Ahead of him is a guy, with untidy hair , unshaven and dressed in a
khaki coat and sarong tucked up and chewing betel with a tattoo
visible in his chest of a cross with the words "YAKKA PARADDAMU"
(defeat the devil) wearing rubber slippers with a scarf round the
neck.
God asks him: Please tell me who you are, so that I may know whether
to admit you into the kingdom of Heaven or not?
The guy replies: I am Appuhamy the CTB driver from Sri Lanka.
God consults his ledger, smiles & says to Appuhamy : Please take this
silken robe & gold scarf & enter the Kingdom of Heaven ...
In Sri Lanka the clergy is reserved seats immediately behind the driver
in CTB buses and so the priest recognizes Appuhamy who recklessly
drove the bus into the building at high speed. ..
Now it is the priest's turn. He stands erect and speaks out in a
booming voice: I am Fr Pinto , Head of the Don Bosco Seminary Ettukala
Negombo and one time parish priest of St Mary's Church Negombo and
celebrated 40 years as a priest and service to God in December last
year.
God consults his ledger & says to the Priest: Please take this cotton
robe & enter the Kingdom of Heaven ...
'Just a minute,' says the agonised Priest. 'How is it that a foul
mouthed, rash Driver is given a Silken robe & a Golden scarf and me, a
Priest, who's dedicated my whole life preaching your Name & wins
goodness and bringing up priests to serve you has to make do with only
a Cotton robe?'
'Results my friend, results,' shrugs God.
'While you preached, people SLEPT; but when he drove, people PRAYED'
It's the PERFORMANCE & and not the POSITION that ultimately counts,
even in Heaven.