"Death be not proud, though some have callèd theeMighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not soe,For, those, whom thou think’st, thou dost overthrow,Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill mee;From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee,Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,And soonest our best men with thee doe goe,Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie.Thou’art slave to Fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell,And poppie,’or charmes can make us sleepe as well,And better then thy stroake; why swell’st thou then?One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,And death shall be no more, Death thou shalt die." John Donne, 1952
I woke up this morning at 7:20 to go on my weekly long run. A couple text messages announcing the death of a nineteen year old guy from our Church awaited my rising. Dear Lord, you warned us not to be lured into this world, that our life was a mere vapor. Life as it were is a work in progress, to fall in love with You and Your Word.
I pray for forgiveness today. Eric's death is a reminder of my own upcoming death. I pray that I am ready when that hour comes. We ought to remember the moral of "Runaway Bunny", the popular children's book. The baby bunny tells his mom that he will run away. His mother tells him that wherever he runs to, she will run after him. An allegory for God's unrelenting devotion and love for our souls. Though our souls may drift, God is fervently running after us, keeping us in His sight and presence.
For now, I will pray that God comforts his family--his mother, father and sister. To give them strength as his coffin is taken away from the Church, as the Good Friday hymns are chanted, to decide what to do with his belongings.
+ Memory Eternal +
No comments:
Post a Comment