the quick and the dead

Every time I read the contemporary version of the Apostle's Creed, I feel a little pang of longing for those old words. I remember when I first heard the creed, and my mother explained that quick simply meant living. I think that's a good way to describe it. It reminds me of the Roadrunner, always a few steps ahead, blissfully unaware that he has narrowly escaped a horrible death once again. And it really is a narrow escape for each of us, isn't it? Without those few steps of faith, that ACME safe could come crashing down on our heads at the anytime, and leave us eternally crushed by the consequences of our sins. I'd rather be a roadrunner anyday.