The Pearly Gates

[Chris Lawrence]

A Muslim dies and finds himself before the Pearly Gates.

He is very excited, as all his life he has longed to meet the Prophet Mohamed.

Having arrived at the Gates of Heaven, he meets a man with a beard.

'Are you Mohamed?' he asks.

'No, my son. I am Peter. Mohamed is higher up.

And he points to a ladder that rises into the clouds.

Delighted that Mohamed should be higher than Peter.

he climbs the ladder in great strides,

climbs through the clouds coming to a room

where he meets another bearded man.

He asks again, 'Are you Mohamed?

'No, I am Moses. Mohamed is higher still.

Exhausted, but with a heart full of joy.

he continues to climb the ladder and, yet again,

he discovers an even larger room

where he meets another man with a beard.

Full of hope, he asks again, 'Are you Mohamed?

'No, I am Jesus...You will find Mohamed higher up.

Mohamed higher than Jesus!

The poor man can hardly contain his delight and climbs and climbs, ever higher.

Once again, he reaches a larger room

where he meets a man with a beard and repeats his question:

'Are you Mohamed?' he gasps,

as he is, by now, totally out of breath from all his climbing.

'No, my son....I am God. But you look exhausted.

Would you like a coffee?'

'Yes, please, my Lord'

God looks behind him, claps his hands and calls out:

'Hey, Mohamed, two coffees!'