“"I, Bruce Lee, will be the highest-paid Asian actor in the USA, a superstar.".
Excerpt from the "10 Million Dollar Letter"“
In return, I will give my most enthusiastic performances and deliver my best as an actor.
"Starting in 1970, I will achieve worldwide fame, and from then until the end of 1980, I will have $10 million in my possession, I will live the way I want, I will achieve inner peace and happiness."”
These words were written by a Bruce Lee who was still at the beginning of his career in the USA, in 1969, when he was 28 or 29 years old, and indeed, it seems like a good life plan for the greatest martial artist the world has ever known.
Although born in San Francisco, California, Bruce Lee was the son of Chinese parents and his real name was Lee Jun-fan, with "Bruce" being just his stage name.
Indeed, his performances were spectacular, being able to play table tennis using a nunchaku and defeat two opponents using rackets! According to those who watched his exhibitions, his punches were so strong and fast that they made the air "crack" like blows delivered with a whip.
However, something Bruce certainly hadn't counted on was having painkillers in his life.
On July 20, 1973, suffering from a headache, he asked his sister-in-law for a pill—the press at the time said she was the boxer's mistress, but his widow, Linda Lee Caldwell, claims that this version is defamatory in the biography of Bruce that she wrote—who gave him a capsule of a very common medicine at the time, based on the active ingredient called Equagesic. He took the medicine and then lay down to sleep.
He never woke up again.
The autopsy confirmed that Equagesic caused a violent allergic reaction, resulting in severe edema (fluid accumulation) in his brain, which ultimately led to his death at less than 33 years of age: no one ever suspected that he was hypersensitive to this analgesic… not even himself!
A man who exuded health and strength, one of the most promising actors of his generation, capable of almost supernatural feats with his body, having influenced several other actors, such as Bolo Yeoung, Chuck Norris and James Coburn, was defeated by a simple headache pill, something commonly given even to children.
Bruce's life project ended 7 years before it could be realized.
On March 31, 1993, his son Brandon also died—even more prematurely than his father!—after being struck by a bullet fired from a gun that was supposed to contain only blanks, during the filming of "The Crow.".
The "son of the dragon," as he was known, lived even less time than his father, only 28 years, having lost his life 3 weeks before the date scheduled for his wedding.
Brandon, unlike his father, although also a kung fu fighter, wanted to be recognized more as an actor than as a martial artist… but he also didn't have time to realize his life project.
How long can a person live in this world?
This is something that, as we know, varies greatly. There are babies who die while still in their mothers' wombs, just as there are people who live past 100 years of age. Regardless, however, the question for human beings is not "if" death will occur, but rather "when.".
That's how it always has been and always will be.
Indeed, earthly life is nothing more than a spark, a flicker… a glow that fades at an astonishing speed when compared to what awaits man after this life.
Man makes his plans, projects his existence in this world, sets his goals, but the truth is that he has no control over the duration of his earthly existence: even the strongest and healthiest people — like Bruce and Brandon — can be taken from the world in the blink of an eye, or in an accident, or by some sudden illness, or by murder, in short, the ways are the most varied.
And when a person dies, their projects and ambitions die with them: they can be carried on by others, but the originator himself will not enjoy their results, should they come to pass.
Ultimately, since everyone's life has an end, and if there is nothing after death, human existence, like that of any living being, is devoid of meaning... at least not of an objective meaning.
Even though nothing happens after death, some insist that a person can give some meaning to their existence (subjectivism), such as "positively influencing the lives of others.".
But if these "others" who are to be influenced are also going to die sooner or later... what's the point in influencing their lives?
However noble it may seem, if human beings confine themselves to this world, any life project lacks a true reason to exist or happen.
With nothing after death, it makes no difference whether someone had a very happy or very unhappy life; a very good or very bad existence; or whether life was very easy or very difficult; good or bad; ethical or unruly… they all lead to the same end: everything ends in the grave, including plans and ambitions.
Absolutely all people die because they are sinners.
Why The wages of sin is death.,
(Romans 6:23 – KJA)
But the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord!
The Christian faith, thankfully, offers man not only a meaningful life plan, but also the certainty that his existence does not end on this earth, on this plane, because Christ, in his work, freed everyone from sin and its worst consequence, eternal death, having become the propitiation for the sins of the whole world.
My dear children, I am writing these words to you so that you may not sin.
(1ˢᵗ John 2:1-2 – KJA)
If, however, anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one;
And He is the propitiation for our sins.
and not only for our personal offenses, but for the sins of the whole world.
While a person's earthly life project can be interrupted or discontinued by sudden death, the same cannot be said of the project of eternal life: death, which takes away all meaning from lives confined to earth, has been conquered, swallowed up by Christ's victory on the Cross, and working in the service of Jesus is not in vain.
At the moment when this perishable body is clothed with incorruptibility,
(1ˢᵗ Corinthians 15:54-58 – KJA)
and what is mortal is clothed with immortality,
then the word that is written will be fulfilled:
“"Death has been swallowed up in victory!"”
“"Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?"”
For the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
Therefore, my beloved brothers, stand firm and let nothing move you.
Devote yourselves, day after day, to the work of the Lord,
fully aware that in the Lord, all your work will never be unproductive.
To bear witness to the faith and to do the work of bringing Christ to others, to witness to Christ's victory—whether through words or deeds—is the most important project anyone can have in this world, because it is not focused on this world; on the contrary, its fruits will be harvested in eternity.
Therefore, dear friends and brothers, let us not be the foolish and frivolous ones who focus their earthly life on itself, transforming what is transient into the main objective.
We may succeed or not, our earthly projects may work out or not… however, these are things of this life, things that will remain in this world to which we brought nothing and from which we will take nothing.
Because we enter this world with absolutely nothing,
(1ˢᵗ Timothy 6:7 – KJA)
And when we leave here, we can take nothing with us.
We can strive for our secular goals, but our relationship with Christ, our faith, must always come first: let us strengthen our faith; let us read the Word; let us pray for enlightenment; and let us believe that, wherever we go and by the power of God, we will be made the light of the world and the salt of the earth, bearers of the message that gives absolute and perfect meaning to human existence in this world, precisely because it is not restricted to it.
You are the salt of the earth.
(Matthew 5:13-14 – KJA)
But if the salt loses its flavor, how can it be seasoned with it?
It is good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
You are the light of the world.
A city built on a hill cannot be hidden.
Earthly life, sooner or later, will end for everyone. Eternal life, won by Jesus, will never end.
May this certainty illuminate us all and give meaning to our lives.
In the Bonds of Calvary
ORIGINAL TITLEThe true ideal of existence.
Coincidences (or not) aside, it seems that the end times are revealing themselves more and more rapidly, and before the Lord returns like a thief in the night, we can already observe signs of the prophesied reign of the Antichrist consolidating not only in Brazil, but throughout the world!
In the 2023 phase of "The Worst Gospel," I decided to use new formats in the hope of helping to increase the reach of content related to the Scriptures—stories, videos, shorter texts, guest authors…—and this publication, which I took the liberty of revising and illustrating, is part of that project.
Thank you for reading this far.
I still need all the help I can get: comments, shares, and reactions help spread this content, which was entirely produced with the intention of contributing to the edification of the Body of Christ in the world.
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