Thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, console one another with these words.
1Thes 4:13-18
This past weekend I spoke at a memorial service for a cycling friend of mine. He suffered greatly with cancer, and finally succumbed to the disease. He was very smart…the top of his class in college, and also in law school. And, he was kind, adventurous, and had a sharp and curious mind. Sharp and curious, except in one major area…the afterlife.
His belief system was that of a druid, and two of the other eulogists mentioned this same belief system. His expectation was that after his spirit had left the body, he would be part of a giant wheel, which would rotate through time and space, and he would be reincarnated. In another version of that same expectation, if he were proven to be a valiant warrior on Earth (not sure who the judge is), he would gain a seat at an eternal feast with his brother warriors. That warrior spirit helped him battle cancer for over 4 years, I imagine.
At the end of my brief eulogy, I said that I had much in common with him, and that is what we focused on, especially near the end. However, I did acknowledge that we had 180-degree differences on what the afterlife was. In front of this mixed crowd of one hundred friends, family, coworkers, and fellow travelers, I stated our differences. I said that as a Catholic Christian, I had three choices for my eternal “life,” and with some help, I would get to the “good one.”
A Christian Afterlife
To bring the focus back to him, and not to me, I stated that I hoped and prayed that in his final days and hours and minutes, he used his sharp mind and legal training to make the case for a Christian afterlife. He could review the law (we have ten basic laws), precedent (two thousand years of case studies), and potential outcomes (eternity is a long time) of the case of Him vs. God. I did not want to be “churchy”, but also did not want to miss a chance to evangelize, as that is part of my mission at GVM. Lee Stroebel has a book titled The Case for Christ. Lee was non-religious. His job was as a legal investigator, and he used those skills to prove the Jesus is the Savior of the World, and Lee converted. I have handed out a few copies of this book over the years.
Most of us are not ready to die or reach the end of our “shelf life”, as my friend and I would say. When it is our time, I pray we have solace, even pondering the Bible verse from 1Thes 4:13-18. These short verses inspired today’s reflection. Interesting how the Bible seems to match up with our current life experiences.
Remain Blessed.
P.S. You can visit the GVM website to see the video of our 10th Anniversary Mass, and Father Maurice’s Keynote Address. You will not be able to see or smell the excellent North Carolina Barbeque Lunch, however. Thank you for being part of the GVM universe.
