Each month I pray to the Holy Spirit for inspiration in writing my Priest’s Message. Thinking of the articles I’ve submitted in the past you can conclude that I have to pray harder! As I began writing this article a tragedy occurred in my family. Late on the evening of October 29th I received a phone call; my cousin’s three-month old baby girl had just passed away. As I write now it is November 5th and my mind is not on this article, but the heartbreak this calamity brings.
Following is what I wrote prior to receiving this news . . .
Life is a very complex experience. Humankind has pondered its meaning for centuries. Many have concluded that the purpose of life is to realize our potential, to seek wisdom and knowledge, to love, feel and enjoy living, or to find happiness. The Book of Ecclesiastes teaches that life is vain.
“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity!” (Ecc. 1:2)
It is amazing how hard we work on the external, physical aspects of our lives and how little attention we give to our spiritual development. Through expensively produced infomercials we are persuaded to buy sprays that eliminate baldness, purchase devices that give us rock-hard abs in eight minutes a day, and juicers that give us the antioxidants we need to live longer. Millions of dollars are spent every year to sell creams that eliminate wrinkles. And the true worth of all these things is? Makes you wonder!
Benjamin Franklin said, “In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.” Life is short, and it seems we spend a lot of it trying to do one of two things: first, we spend time trying to figure life out, and second, we try to keep it from ending. For the Orthodox Christian the sensible way of dealing with life is to embrace the inevitable; one day we will leave this life to be considered candidates for the eternal Kingdom!
I sit here now staring at the computer screen, holding an explosion of tears in the depths of my heart. Why does the death of a child feel so unnatural? My primary goal as a Parish Priest is to bring my congregation to a greater and more intimate relationship with God. Doing so requires that I set a good example in the exercise of my own faith. Today I tell you that my faith has been rocked! A child was taken suddenly from a loving home without explanation and the results are tragic. Tomorrow is the funeral.
Death is difficult for us to discuss. It is a topic we rarely touch on until something forces us to go deeper, usually the suffering and eminent death of a loved one or the luncheon that follows a funeral. Why is it so hard for us to talk about death? It’s painful and it hurts. We develop loving, lasting relationships that are ended by death and that’s upsetting.
Christ took on flesh for one reason… to die! Our Lord died so that we could live with Him forever. Yes, the relationships that we develop in this life are terminated by death, but death holds no dominion over us. Our loved ones pass from this life to the next and we terribly miss their physical presence, but solace comes in knowing that we will be reunited at the resurrection. Does this knowledge ease the pain of losing a child? The simple answer is no. The pain of losing a child is overwhelming and is often described as the worst pain that can ever be experienced and endured in this life. One day there will come a moment (it might be 10 minutes from now or 50 years from now) when we will feel the peace of knowing our Lord’s will for us and we can further learn to trust and hope in Him!
In contemplating the tragic loss of my cousin’s tiny daughter, I find that writing about it has opened my eyes to an important detail . . . the greatest of saints had their moments of doubt. St. John the Baptist had his in prison, St. Peter as he walked on water, Mother Teresa mentions times of doubt in her memoirs, and even Christ had His moment in Gethsemane. Should we be ashamed to doubt? No, when we doubt we should remember the prayer of the father who brought his son with a mute spirit to be healed by Christ in Mark 9:17-29. “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!” His prayer leaves a lasting impression on our hearts and is valuable during trying times of doubt.
I leave you broken-hearted and with one last thought . . . have you told your family and friends that you love them? Do you tell them often enough?
I love you!
