The Shadow of Finitude

I was late for the birthday party. The roaring party was already under way. "Hello, Heinrich", someone shouted, drowning out the loud music. I looked around and saw Peter sitting at a table with a couple. "Come", he said, "sit with us!" "Yes, now!", I replied and looked for the "birthday child".
 After finding Raimund, congratulations and handing over the gift, I sat down at Peter's table. "Why are you so late?" he asked. And without waiting for an answer, he continued: "You have already missed the best. Raimund gave a speech. About the finiteness of life!"
    I asked a little irritated: "Really?" It wasn't really like him to talk about such topics, and certainly not in public.
Peter continued: "Yes, first he had a sad song played by Leonard Cohen and then said he wanted to give a brief insight into his soul on such a beautiful day for him. He is very happy today and can see that life has meant quite well to him over the past sixty years. But", and now he took a little break, "and now it comes that he still can't really be happy. For above this day and its life would also lie the shadow of finiteness. And he was not a religious or religious person!"
I was astonished. I really would not have expected such words from Raimund's mouth, otherwise he would have been more of a fun-loving group.
     When I wanted to leave the party at three o'clock in the morning, I went over to Raimund again. That's when you missed my speech. I'm sure you would have liked it if you were a believing Christian!" "Yes, too bad," I replied. "But Peter told me a lot about it. The shadow of finiteness that hails the happiness of the moment a little." He laughed: "Yes, that's one way of putting it! Unfortunately, I don't have your faith. I just have to deal with the conviction that one day nothing will remain of me."
Thoughtfully I made my way home. I remembered my younger years when the shadow of finiteness had also worried me and made me aware of my secret desire for infinity. A few years later, under dramatic circumstances, I came to christian faith: Saved from the Devil's Kitchen (click)