"Knowing" and Hope

Spoiler Alert: This post reveals the plot of the film "Knowing" starring Nicholas Cage.

Roger Ebert has said this of the film Knowing (2009), starring Nicholas Cage,

"Knowing" is among the best science-fiction films I've seen -- frightening, suspenseful, intelligent and, when it needs to be, rather awesome.

High praise from Ebert. Oddly, "Knowing" is, ultimately, for planet Earth and all its inhabitants, a tragedy. Very high praise from Roger Ebert indeed.

Ebert, a cradle Catholic and one-time Altar-server, has let it be known that his faith is, shall we say, nil. And, given that both he and I belong to the cancer-bestowed Pre-Death Club, I find this far more tragic than any mere movie tragedy.

If you have seen "Knowing" and felt a sense of dread and existential nihilism (a case of the heebee-jeebees in a less cool age), do not think that you can hit the pause button, get up, go to the kitchen, get a snack, come back and watch the Earth incinerated by a solar flare, brush your teeth, and go snuggly to bed.

All of us - all of us - must one day, if we are blessed, come to grips with our mortality. I wrote A Little Guide for Your Last Days to be what it says it is: a small book meant to help every man, woman, or young person do exactly that - come to grips with our mortality and the Big Question facing each one of us.

It is "Knowing" of the very highest order. And it may, I pray, lead you to hope.