The Seeker (Excerpt)

by Rajiv Agarwal
(New Zealand)

“You see, there are so many paths, so many sub paths. The church goer can‟t stand a mosque, the Mussalman won‟t step into a temple, none would step into the other‟s abode. But then why, and it is exceedingly strange if you weren‟t so used to it, do they all sit together and have burgers in the same McDonalds? Maybe Mac‟s should have religious burgers on its menu? A Christian special, a Hindu sattva burger and a large Krishna coke, or a John the Baptist low trans fat potato wedges? Place for two please, in the protestant zone please,” Dew mimicked the actions of a bloke wanting a protestant table at Burger King.

Gatsby and Tara laughed hysterically at his antics. Skyvee was smiling to himself. Man this guy is cool and has a great observation, he thought. He had decided to like Dew, no matter what he said.

Dew waited for a brief moment, and then continued in a serious tone.
“If pizzas and burgers can bring together religions and its advocates, why not God? Why is God the dividing factor and burgers the uniting factor?”
He stopped again. For a brief moment all of them sat silently.

“Sources of entertainment bring us together, the theatre, the football games, the bar, the cinemas, the clubs and discos, the musical concerts. Mick Jagger or Bryan Adams make millions of hearts of Hindu, Christian, Muslim, protestant and Jews beat together when they perform. One wave of humanity. Have you noticed that? All the boundaries and colours dissolve. One strum of a guitar, one drum beat, and all hearts melt in one voice. Why are they the uniting factors, and religion, God the dividing factor? I utterly fail to understand this abysmal stupidity.”
“Step out of the concert grounds or The MacDonald‟s, and we are the superior race, the only ones favored by the creator. Catching a train to work, have you ever thought who your driver was? A Muslim? A Jew? An atheist? It‟s so immaterial then. We are going to work and so it doesn't matter. But going to heaven? It does matter who the driver is, doesn't it?” Dew sighed, his eyes saddening.


Check out the rest of the book at The Seeker, Rajiv Agarwal