To Mike Smith’s funeral.

He wasn’t a close friend but I liked him a lot. His wife asked me to come so of course, I did and was delighted to see that God had not been invited. Having endured countless requiems that were quite literally godawful, I found this lovely secular service sad but uplifting. It was a wonderful celebration of Mike’s life with heartfelt eulogies from people who adored him. Instead of hymns, we sang a selection of his favourite songs including this one. Its title struck me as slightly ironic, given that Mike was clearly not “a believer”. Then I realised that he was: a fervent believer in life before death rather life after it. In which case, I thought, I’m a believer too.