What's Next?

Seeing little alters in homes, businesses and grave sites is a common image in Vietnam. The Vietnamese as a people group share a belief that we continue to exist for several generations after death, and the most upright continue for longer than that. They believe that our ancestors can give us good fortune in this life.

These alters serve as their connection points where items are left for use in the afterlife. It is interesting to note that the Catholic Vietnamese also maintain alters but maybe not so surprising as the Catholics have a long tradition of venerating the saints as their advocates to God, this practice takes it further.

Jesus teaches that we do go on existing after our earthly grave. That next state is either a second continuing life or a second continuing death. He says that we all deserve the second and ongoing death and that nothing we are able to do can free us from that. There is no room for self righteousness as a means to overcome our judgement from God. It is only when God the Father counts the willing sacrifice of Jesus as payment for our deserved second death that we gain entrance to the second life.