Anubis

I'm currently reading "The Red Pyramid" by Rick Riordan (author of the Percy Jackson series). It follows the adventures of a brother and sister as they discover that the Egyptian gods and goddesses are not myths and walk among us (I promise not to reveal any plot points that might ruin it for those who will read this book after reading this post/or are already planning on reading it/are in the process of reading it like me). Now I obviously don't believe in the Egyptian gods, but ever since I was a child I have found mythology of all kinds extremely fascinating; and as it so happens Mr. Riordan writes compelling stories involving mythology.

As the brother and sister travel along there is a passage that stands out to me. It takes place while they are visiting the Hall of Judgement. Anubis, who is a god (one of the more familiar ones, as he usually is half man half jackal) and the Lord of Funerals, is talking about the Feather of Truth. He says:

"The truth is harsh...Spirits come to the Hall of Judgement all the time, and they cannot let go of their lies. They deny their faults, their true feelings, their mistakes...right up until Ammit (a monster) devours their souls for eternity. It takes strength and courage to admit the truth."

This passage resonated with me more than anything, and left me pondering some questions I will now pose you.

When we die and the day arrives for God to pass judgement on our souls, can we tell the truth about our life? Can we admit our faults? Can we recognize our mistakes? If we can not, are we prepared to face eternal damnation for our stubbornness and pride?

The Bible tells us that we must seek God's forgiveness. But is that enough? Shouldn't we also seek to forgive ourselves. In that forgiving I believe we can come to accept ourselves, in accepting we know ourselves, and can tell the truth about everything.