Death – we can’t avoid it. It’s part of the natural circle
of life. It is something we will all face. The older we get, many of us begin
to fixate on its inevitability and its finality.
But is that where we should focus?
Is death the final, cold punctuation of our lives? Not
according to the Gospel of John – “For God so loved the world that he gave his
only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have
eternal life.” (John 3:16 NRSV) In John 14, Christ promises us a
place in that heavenly “house”. And so that we have no worries about our
standing with God, Paul reminds us in Romans 8 that there is absolutely nothing that can separate us from the
love of God that is in Christ Jesus. All of us, one in Christ, have no worries
about what will come to pass after our mortal lives are over. But while the
prospect of eternity with our Creator gives us hope, should we really be
focusing on that finish line? Shouldn’t we rather focus on the race leading up
to the finish line?
Linda Ellis wrote a magnificent poem called The Dash (http://lindaellis.net/the-dash/) – you know, that little dash
between our date of birth and our date of death. In its conclusion she asks if
we will be proud of how we spent our "dash", when our eulogy is read. How do we
want to be remembered? What does Jesus call each of us to do? – “In everything
do to others as you would have them do to you;” (Matthew 7: 12a NRSV); and “You
shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 19:19b). We need to live our lives in a
way that reflects these ideals. And we need to live so TODAY, for what if
tomorrow never comes?
Each day, we have a choice to have a good day or a bad day …
to make a positive impact or a negative one – Yes, it’s our individual choice
regardless of circumstances. Sure, each of us has many burdens to bear. But we
need to take the focus off of ourselves and begin to see those around us who
are hurting even more than us, whether in body, mind or spirit. Just look
around you. How can you leave a positive heart-print in someone's life
today? What if a simple smile or a hello is the one thing that makes a
hopeless, suicidal person desire to live again? … a handshake, a hug, a phone
call, an email, a text … what is the one
thing that you can do today to
make Christ’s love tangible in our world? If everyone looked for and acted on
those little opportunities of grace, think of the ripple-effect when they’re
paid forward! LIVE today. Each day is a gift! Don’t waste it. Each morning when
you wake, thank God for the gift of a new day and for the opportunities to make
a positive difference in the lives of others. Morning has broken - what are you going to do with it?
Hi Dawn,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your blog on the dash between birth and death. I really appreciated your scriptural and thoughtful reflection on a topic you know a lot about and to which you have dedicated your heart and presence in ministry.
I am missing the connection between this blog and public theology. For example, how does the rise in infant mortality, gun violence on the streets of your city, and the battles being waged on the streets of Syria interact with the life and death reflections you are bringing to bear?
How does the lack of concern for life in the policies of too many states and nations cause people who are poor to have too few healthy choices in facing the dash of their lives?
I look forward to reading your reflections in the time ahead.
Blessings,
Tim Ahrens
thanks for your deeply spiritual and reflective piece. I think it could be an easy affair to link this post with a current event by opening the post with a summary and short eulogy for someone in the news who passed away this week, or someone epic like Steve Jobs. Dr. T may disagree with me about the timeliness of discussing Jobs at this date, but finding an example of someone who loved their neighbors - or didn't - would bring this well written post into current news.
ReplyDeleteDear Dawn: you could get at what your two classmates are suggesting here in terms of taking it to the public with your chaplaincy insights. In the last paragraph, name some of those who are hurting specifically--homeless, for example. Am I justified in just walking by the homeless person on the street, or even giving a few coins? Isn't listening to the scripture also helping to build shelters and advocate for programs that help people off of the streets? Just picking an issue, but helps to bring it into focus. I often write about FeedingAmerica, a wonderful organization, that is dealing with the epidemic of hunger in this country. See Chuck Currie's blog for how to do this especially with homelessness.
ReplyDeleteDawn,
ReplyDeleteDeath IS scary. Even as a believer with the blessed assurance of eternal life; one still wonders about that which one can't see, hear, or smell. It's a great unknown; a known unknown. Sometimes the thought of death--its certainty--can become distracting, depressing, and delimiting. One sometimes asks, "What matters here on earth; how I live, what I fight for; if we're all going to die." But once one comes to realize the intergenerational cycle of humanity of which we're part; there's a boost that comes to me, encouraging me to keep fighting, helping humanity climb the stairway to heaven as we build the Kingdom of God on earth!
Thanks,
William