January 27, 2017 (Friday)
Recently I ran across an article in The Baptist Standard that presented the obituaries of many church and denominational leaders in Baptist life over the last four years. I have not been in contact with some of my friends and former coworkers so was surprised to see the names and read the obituaries of many of my friends, many of whom were about the same age as I. It was a sobering experience, bringing a new and fresh realization that our days are numbered and in the hands of God.
The article included an editorial that editor Marv Knox wrote last June entitled, “The Sweet Joy of Not Being Dead. Yet.” Here are his closing thoughts in that editorial:
We live in a resumé vs. obituary world. The gravitational pull of our Western capitalistic culture values your resumé over your obituary.
Your resumé chronicles your tangible accomplishments. The schools you attended. The jobs you held. The houses you lived in and the cars you drove. The accolades you accumulated. Maybe the places you visited and the sights you saw.
Your obituary records the intangible-yet-enduring elements of your life. The family and friends you loved. The Christian acts of grace and kindness and redemption you bestowed. The books that made you weep or hoot or caused your mind to explode. The music that made you dance. The food that caused you to moan. The laughter and tears. The quirks of personality, character and biology that made you you. The mental snapshots of hugs and kisses, splendid sunsets, scenic vistas, and moments of serendipity and splendor.
Don’t wait until your demise is tweeted or your death is exaggerated to evaluate your one beautiful, painful, joyous, confusing, surprising, outlandish, never-to-be-duplicated life.
Thanks, Marv. I am 85; to me your words seem personal. We had mutual friends in Bob and Charlene Lawrence. They thought very highly of you, and spoke of you often. Bob’s was one of the names on that list I wrote about at the beginning of this blog. He and Charlene were great servants of the Lord. Like everyone else on the list.
