I’ve been overwhelmed and amazed by the outpouring of kindness we have received in recent days surrounding my dad’s passing and my daughter’s wedding. I am working to find words to articulate all of this but I find myself still very much in process. In the meantime I find solace in some words written by Henri Nowen called Celebrating Life.
“When we speak about celebration we tend rather easily to bring to mind happy, pleasant, gay festivities in which we can forget for a while the hardships of live and immerse ourselves in an atmosphere of music, dance, drinks, laughter, and a lot of cozy small-talk. But celebration in the Christian sense has very little to do with this. Celebration is possible only through the deep realization that life and death are never found completely separate. Celebration can really come about only where fear and love, joy and sorrow, tears and smiles can exist together. Celebration is the acceptance of life in a constantly increasing awareness of its preciousness. And life is precious not only because it can be seen, touched, and tasted, but also because it will be gone one day.
When we celebrate a wedding we celebrate a unions as well as a departure; when we celebrate a death we celebrate lost friendship as well as gained liberty. There can be tears after weddings and smiles after funerals. We can indeed make our sorrows, just as much as our joys, a part of our celebrations of life in the deep realization that life and death are not opponents but do, in fact, kiss each other at every moment of our existence.
When we are born we become free to breathe on our own but lose the safety of our mother’s body; when we go to school we are free to join a greater society but lose a particular place in our family; when we marry we find a new partner but lose the special tie we had with our parents; when we find work we win our independence b y making our own money but lose the stimulation of teachers and fellow students; when we receive children we discover a new world but loose the chance to take many risks; when we retire we finally have the chance to do what we want but lose the support of being wanted.
When we have been able to celebrate life in all these decisive moments where gaining and losing – that is, life and death – touched each other all the time, we will be able to celebrate even our own dying because we have learned from life that those who lose it can find it (cf. Matt. 16:25).”
I continue to celebrate with you the precious nature of our lives together as the church of Jesus Christ. Thank you again for being the church at a time I needed it the most.
With you on Grace Avenue,
Billy Echols-Richter
Pastor
