Reflections from a Funeral

I attended a funeral the other day for a man that I met only one time. It was one of those situations of professional courtesy and compassion. I don't mean that as a mere performance of duty. I really wanted to attend and show genuine compassion and support for those who remain. Although, there were so many people at the funeral that I doubt the family will be able to remember who was there and who was not. Maybe they took comfort in the fact that the reason there were so many in attendance was that Mr. Wolf really was that well-liked and appreciated.

Mr. Wolf was up in years and died of cancer. He left behind his wife and grown children, several grands, and many friends. After hearing the reflections from those who shared some of their memories, I feel that I almost knew him. As each person spoke I watched others in the congregation nod their heads in agreement with the description of a person who knew Christ and made it his mission to make Christ known to everyone he met.

He had a dynamic personality and probably did not meet many strangers. It sounds like he lived life with passion and intention. He loved his wife and family, and deeply cared about those around him. He was a stickler for details, everything had a place and purpose. At the same time, he seemed to be one of those unique people who could stop and take in the beauty of creation and appreciate his labor.

Sometimes, I love going to funerals. That sounds odd. But, think about it. When did you hear anyone focus on the negative during a funeral? Oh, we laugh at the personality quirks and joke about the funny moments. But it is always more of laughing "with" than laughing "at" the deceased. There is something cathartic about sharing memories with kindred hearts at wakes and funerals. It's OK to cry and laugh at funerals, it' a healthy part of the grieving process. It frees our souls and spirits to pause and reflect on the impact that one life has on another; one human to another.

Let's face it, death is a human reality. It's not really important how we die, but how we have lived. That is what distinguishes us from our human weaknesses. How did we impact humanity? What will we be remembered for? Hopefully the positive ways that we influence one another will blind us to our shortcomings and failures. None of us have any room to criticize each other, we are all human.

God knows our faultiness. Under His scrutiny, our humanity shines in all its dimness. God is not discouraged with our humanity, He accepts us for what we are. But the positive side of His love is that He does not leave us to our own end. Through Christ we can become what God intended - people who will know God and care about others.

So, what will they say at my funeral? I don't know, but I hope that my humanity does not get too much in the way of what God intends. I'd like to be remembered as someone who was like Mr. Wolf - he knew God and pointed other humans to Him by the way he lived his life. I'd also like to live many more years!

Merry Christmas, my human friends!

Emanuel!

Comments

The purpose of my blog is to share some thoughts about our humanity, the good and the bad. Human history is loaded with examples of man's inhumanity. But there are also bright moments of hope and goodness. Scripture also contains similar accounts. The most significant example was when God became man to redeem us from ourselves. Christ represents what humanity can accomplish and become when our relationship is restored with God.

I am not sure where this dialogue with myself will go. I invite your comments and questions. Together, hopefully as Christians and definitely as humans, we can discover how to be the creation that God intended for us to become.

Blessings,
Elton

Our Humanity is Showing

Recently, I have been pondering the human propensity to complain. Nothing describes the human condition better than our ability to find fault with just about everything. Obviously, we complain when things go bad. The car breaks down, we wake up late for work, the kids get sick, we get sick, we have problems with co-workers, or the economy goes south. Fill-in the blank, we complain about something everyday. In fact we are so good at being human that we complain when something good happens; it just wasn't quite good enough.

During the Christmas season I hope to find things to be thankful for: God is still God, my wife still loves me in spite of my faults (of which there are not a few), we have a wonderful family, we have jobs and we like them, we are part of a great church, and our health is good. I could go on forever, but you get the point.

It's easy to complain. It proves our fallen nature. In Christ we are better than that. We can live above that mind-set and focus on the blessings of God. When we complain we prove that we are mere human. When we offer blessings, we prove that God exists. May God help us to set our attitudes on Him and His blessings. Let us be thankful for His love and grace, and extend the same to those who would cause us to complain. Just because we are human doesn't mean we have to act like it.

Merry Christmas! May His Christ-likeness shine through us in the coming New Year!

Elton Brooke