Three police officers stood nervously in line at the Pearly Gates, their uniforms pressed, their faces serious. Saint Peter sat nearby with a long scroll, reading names and occasionally glancing up. One by one, souls were welcomed inside, but when the officers reached the front, Saint Peter raised a hand and stopped them.
He looked at the first officer and asked calmly, “What did you do with your life?”
The officer straightened his back proudly. “I was a police officer,” he replied.
Saint Peter nodded. “And what kind of police officer were you?”
“I patrolled the streets, protected people, and tried to keep the peace,” the man said.
Saint Peter smiled, opened the gate slightly, and said, “Welcome. You may enter.” The officer walked in, relieved and proud.
Saint Peter then turned to the second officer and asked the same question. “What did you do with your life?”
“I was also a police officer,” the second man answered confidently.
“And what kind of police officer were you?” Saint Peter asked.
“I worked traffic,” the man said. “I wrote tickets, enforced the law, and made sure roads were safe.”
Saint Peter paused, nodded slowly, and opened the gate again. “Welcome. You may enter as well.”
Finally, Saint Peter faced the third officer. This one looked uneasy, shifting his weight from foot to foot.
“And you,” Saint Peter said gently. “What did you do with your life?”
“I was a police officer,” the man replied.
Saint Peter leaned closer. “What kind of police officer?”
The man sighed. “I worked internal affairs.”
Saint Peter’s expression changed instantly. He rolled up the scroll, pointed behind him, and said, “You see that gate over there?”
The officer’s eyes lit up. “Yes!”
Saint Peter smiled and added, “That’s the exit.”
