Wednesday, July 28, 2010

On Loan

The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, 
the world and all who live in it.
Psalm 24:1

It is quite remarkable that even though we all know that EVERYONE is going to die at some point it still somehow catches us off guard every single time.  A wonderful woman by the name of Sonja Lartey recently passed away, far too soon, far too soon if you ask me.  I knew that she was sick and towards the end I knew that she was dying and yet when it happened—when she actually passed—I just couldn’t believe it.  For some reason I was in a state of shock.  Even when we see it coming we are never quite ready to say goodbye.

Death is hard.  Death is sad.  Death is so painful.  All of these are such huge understatements.  The sense of loss and helplessness simply cannot be put into words.  And yet experiencing the death of someone we love, someone we still can’t believe is gone, gives us a moment for reflection, to think deeply upon what really matters within the short span of our little lives.  If we are open God can meet us even in our grief and speak, whispering words of wisdom into our fragile and broken hearts.

Our capitalistic society is obsessed with having possessions.  The American Dream is centered on owning property as opposed to developing life-enhancing relationships for example.  On some level we even think we own one another: our husbands, our wives, our children, our friends, we act as if they belong to us.  And then death comes—and we are forced with the realization that they are not ours; they were never ours.  They never belonged to us; they were just on loan for a little while.  Everyone and everything belongs to God and every moment we get to spend with someone we love is a precious, precious gift and we never quite know when the loan will be recalled.

I implore you, don’t wait until it’s too late.  Find someone you love and tell them that you love them while you have the chance.  Find someone you’re grateful towards and say thank you.  Wrap your arms around someone you care about.  You never know when the loan may be recalled.

To Pastor Sonja, I don’t think most of us knew how much you meant to us until you were taken away.  Forgive us; forgive me.  We love you.  We really do miss you, but someday we will be where you are now: home.  Until then….

Following the Way,
Kevin