مکالمه ی فعالانه قسمت ب

ACTIVE SPEAKING / PART B

MEMENTO MORI

Kelly was a 27-year-old photographer traveling through Jerusalem in the 1970s when he found himself wrestling with questions about the existence of God.

Where was the 27-year-old photographer traveling through in the 1970s?

The 27-year-old photographer was traveling through Jerusalem in the 1970s.

Did Kelly find himself wrestling with an alligator? No, Kelly didn’t find himself wrestling with an alligator. Kelly found himself wrestling with questions about the existence of God.

One night he missed the curfew for his hostel and walked the streets of the old city for hours.

What did he miss one night? One night he missed the curfew for his hostel.

What did he do for hours? He walked the streets of the old city for hours.

Finally, he found the only place still open: a church. He went in, lay down and slept.

What did he finally find? He finally found a place still open: a church. What did he do there? He went in, lay down and slept.

In the morning he found himself sitting outside the tombs where Jesus was said to have risen from the dead.

Where did he find himself sitting in the morning? He found himself sitting outside the tombs where Jesus was said to have risen from the dead.

At that moment he was overcome with faith in God.

Was he overcome with hunger at that moment? No, he wasn’t overcome with hunger at that moment. He was overcome with faith in God at that moment.

This new faith wasn’t the answer to all his questions. It just created new ones.

Was this new faith the answer to all his questions? No, this new faith wasn’t the answer to all his questions. What did it create? It created new questions.

What should he do with his life? Should he become a monk or a preacher? Should he throw away all his worldly possessions and head into the desert?

Did he question what he should do with his life? Yes, he questioned what he should do with his life.

As he pondered these thoughts, an idea popped into his head.

What popped into his head as he pondered these questions? An idea popped into his head as he pondered these questions.

He was going to die in six months.

When was he going to die? He was going to die in six months.

Kelly describes himself as a logical person. He knew that this idea wasn’t backed by any evidence.

Does Kelly describe himself as a difficult person? No, Kelly doesn’t describe himself as a difficult person. Kelly describes himself as a logical person. Was this idea backed by any evidence? No, this idea wasn’t backed by any evidence.

And he knew it sounded silly, but he felt compelled to spend the next six months believing it was true.

Did he know it sounded silly? Yes, he knew it sounded silly. What did he feel compelled to do? He felt compelled to spend the next six months believing it was true.

His next question was about how to spend those precious remaining months. He says the answer to that question surprised him.

What was his next question? His next question was how to spend those precious remaining months. Did the answer to that question anger him? No, the answer to that question didn’t anger him. The answer to that question surprised him.

He didn’t want to climb Mt. Everest or take up scuba diving and explore the ocean depths.

Did he want to climb Mt. Everest or take up scuba diving and explore the ocean depths? No, he didn’t want to climb Mt. Everest or take up scuba diving and explore the ocean depths.

Instead, he had the most mundane desires.

What kind of desires did he have instead? Instead, he had the most mundane desires.

Having spent much of his 20s on the road, he longed to return home to New Jersey.

What did he spend much of his 20s doing? He spent much of his 20s on the road. Where did he long to return home to? He longed to return home to New Jersey.

He wanted to see his parents and just be ordinary. And that is exactly what he did.

Who did he want to see? He wanted to see his parents. What did he want to be? He wanted to just be ordinary. Is that exactly what he did? Yes, that is exactly what he did.

He took out the trash; he worked in the yard and did other menial jobs to help his family.

What did he do? He took out the trash; he worked in the yard and did other menial jobs to help his family.

He describes it as completely ordinary, and he relished every minute of it.

What does he describe it as? He describes it as completely ordinary. Did he hate every minute of it? No, he didn’t hate every minute of it. He relished every minute of it.

Kelly was a traveler at heart, and after three months, the travel bug hit him.

What was Kelly at heart? Kelly was a traveler at heart. What hit him after three months? The travel bug hit him after three months.

With only three months left before his date with death, he decided that he wanted to visit with each of his four brothers and sisters.

How many months were left before his date with death? Only three months were left before his date with death. Who did he decide he wanted to visit?

He decided he wanted to visit with each of his four brothers and sisters.

And he decided he wanted to do it on a bicycle.

Did he decide he wanted to do it in a car or on a bicycle? He decided he wanted to do it on a bicycle.

His siblings were scattered around the country, so he prepared for a long ride that would end up being 5,000 miles.

Were his siblings nearby? No, his siblings weren’t nearby. His siblings were scattered around the country. What did he prepare for? He prepared for a long ride. How many miles would it end up being? It would end up being 5,000 miles.