Friday of the First Week of Lent - March 3, 2023

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Ezekiel 18:21-28 Matthew 5:20-26

“Since they turned away from all the sins they committed, they shall live; they shall not die.”

There have, unfortunately, been too many funerals and memorial services lately; and what I have come to reflect on from these occasions is the phrase, “I’m sorry for your loss.” Increasingly, I’m not sure it is an appropriate reflection of what has occurred.

When we speak about death and life, it seems limited to an individual’s time in this world. But the Christian faith is founded on the belief of eternal life, of the Easter resurrection. The life we live in the service of God cannot be defeated by a mortal death and will carry forward into eternity.

What then does it mean to live in service of God? Is it the repetition of rituals and prayer, or is it the meaning that these rituals and prayer evoke? Fundamental to our Christian meaning is love. For it is in love that we create, enrich, and celebrate the miracle of life. For comparison, consider that all sin may be based in a feeling of hate; hate of the self; hate of the other. Consider also that all hate may be based in fear. And what fear is there other than a fear of death, either as physical death or a death of the ego.

In every eulogy that I have heard, there is always a remembrance for the love shared by the deceased in their lifetime. And while that individual is no longer physically animated, their love continues with us. The kindness that they showed us reminds us in our own lives how to practice similar kindness to others. And in that way, we carry forward the best parts of the deceased – the Christian parts of their life – on into an ever-renewing life.

Yes, we undermine ourselves and our memory by our acts of hate. And while that hate may continue for generations, it cannot continue forever. With each successive generation, they seek to cut down whatever hateful iteration that may remain of us. For where can hate and death bring us but an utter demise? In love, we have no loss, and we fi nd our eternity.

Q: Whose loving memory continues to affect my life today, even though they are no longer present with me on earth?

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