Publicity about The Last Lecture piqued my curiosity, so when I came across it at a library sale, I quickly added it to my bundle of books. Now that I've read it, I'm still curious. I kept waiting for the author to say something about his spiritual beliefs. You would think a dying man would have some thoughts on the subject, but he chose not to share those with his reading audience. We are left to wonder.
He did manage to eek out a few sentences about his faith being very personal and wanting to "talk about universal principles that apply to all faiths …" In other words, he didn't want to offend anyone. I sort of understand. Faith in God is intimate. A relationship with Him is the most personal relationship on earth. It also happens to be the most important one.
In all of Mr. Pausch's brilliance, he let a prime opportunity slide by. He was given this huge platform, yet he did not speak on God's behalf, and I wonder why. I know what he says in the book, but I would love to have been in the room when he wrote those few curious paragraphs where he tiptoes across the subject of faith. It's almost as if he clears his conscience by addressing the subject of faith without really addressing the subject of faith.
He hints at being a Christian by mentioning church, a minister, and prayer, so assuming he was a believer and made it to heaven, I hope that God was not offended about being excluded from his book, and that he greeted him with a well done instead of a fell short.
I am still puzzled by Mr. Pausch's reluctance to share his faith. He might have influenced only one life but it would have been well worth the risk. His book is heartfelt and an excellent read but the problem is that he left out the one essential relationship.
With all of that said, The Last Lecture offers valuable instruction on the right way versus the wrong way. In facing death Mr. Pausch inspired the living to do better. He made his mark and leaves behind a legacy that we should all strive to reach for ourselves. I thank him for a thoughtful book, and I am especially appreciative that he brought out the importance of a handwritten thank you note.