The Flower Fades

image from here

Three people in three days.

On Thursday, we heard that a former colleague, Pedro*, had passed away.  Plagued with heart problems, he had received a transplant several weeks ago which never took.  He was in his forties and leaves behind a wife and three children

On Friday, we found out a friend and former associate, Clark, had also died.  He had a lung disease that would one day require a transplant, though his condition had stabilized and things were looking up.  A bout with flu, though, proved too much.  He was in his fifties and left behind a wife and three kids.

Today, my son's baseball practice was distracted by the arrival of an ambulance.  On the next field over, people were trying to resuscitate a man.  I believe they failed; the body was loaded in the ambulance that remained as police took statements from witnesses.

Three deaths in three days.  In today's world of prosperity, comfort, and medical technology, sights like this are (mercifully) rare.  These events have left me numb, grieving for the families involved, and wondering "what next?"  But it's also an opportunity for reflection.

This world is temporary.  We understand, from a young age, that we will die.  Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.  The grass withers, the flower fades.  Everything here is temporary (our time overseas emphasized this, as I reflect upon here).  And yet, this temporal existence points to the eternal; indeed, we have eternity in our hearts.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever.  This critical truth shows us the way in this dark hour.  As I wrote in the aforementioned post, our response to this fragile and perishing existence "should not be one of rampant consumption, nor one of resigned indifference."  We have a purpose, and the eternal Word of God tells us what that is.

Why do we exist?  The Westminster Confession of Faith summarizes the teaching of Scripture and produces the answer: "to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."  What does it mean to glorify God?  John Piper says it this way: we are to "mirror forth God" in this world.  And God is love; Jesus says the greatest commandments are to love the Lord and love your neighbor.  What is love?  The apostle John makes is plain: laying down your life for others.  Kevin Vanhoozer says it this way: love's "characteristic activity is sharing and self-giving for the sake of the other."

Our short time in this world is not to pursue and accumulate possessions, status, or achievement, but to mirror forth God by giving ourselves- our time, talents, and resources- to others.  Our strength and example is Jesus, as we love because he first loved us.  We may never be rich, comfortable, safe, or even successful.  We don't know how long we have or how hard the road will be.  And yet Jesus is clear: "follow me."  And better is one day in His courts than thousands elsewhere.


*name here and elsewhere changed