Yet another take on the ending of The Stand.

[Checkman]

Like many others I have never been a big fan of the ending. But I have given it some thought. And yes it hurt. Pass the Tylenol please.

I know that some folks have problems with the ending (and I am not crazy about it either), but I think that ultimately you just have to accept that God will do what God does. And God will not explain his (or her's) actions. Nope nope nope. Heck now we get shows like Supernatural and all those Angel movies starring Christopher Walken in which God won't even talk to the Angels.

Actually that is even brought up at the end of the epic play (and HBO production) Angels in America. One of the characters is actually able to visit Heaven and is informed by an Angel (played by Emma Thompson) that they don't know where God is or if he is planning on coming back.

So the ending of The Stand works in the vein of God's Will. God does move in "mysterious" ways and too bad if you don't like it. Fill out a complaint and send it in.

Now let's look at the Long Trek taken by our favorties to Las Vegas. Many folks have problems with the part of the plot.

Sending the guys to Vegas could be seen as a Burnt Offering demanded by God. The best and the finest is sacrificed. Very old testament it seems. Why? Because. Or perhaps I should say Why ask Why? Getting back to God's Will I guess.

Glen Bateman hits the nail on the head. The Long Trek through the wilderness (the Great Soutwestern Desert) cleans them out both physically and mentally. Fasting and isolation has a long tradition in both Christianity and other religions.

Just look at monks and nuns. Depending on the order that they belong to they are isolated and live very spartan lives. In the early days of Christianity (before the rise of Islam) there were Christian Esthetics ( a way of life later adopted and made nice by the Church as monks and nuns ) who lived in caves in the Egyptian desert.

Those folks were hard core. They were hermits who lived on starvation rations and were probably half crazed after a year or two, but the thinking was that by cutting themselves off from the "modern" world (and all it's distractions)they would be pure and God would be easier to hear and understand. The Long Trek to Vegas is part of that tradition I believe.

Why does God need them cleaned out? Well see above.

[GNTLGNT]

All I will say is "God pounds his nails...", so deal with it...

[Checkman]

All I will say is "God pounds his nails...", so deal with it...

Yep. If I was of a more laconic nature that would have been my entire posting. But I'm not Clint Eastwood which is too bad because I would really like to have his bank account.