Worth the Wait?
Today is All Souls Day.
Perhaps in an effort to provide equal time to all who died "peaceable deaths" in the promise of the resurrection, we have All Souls Day, or as it is known in Southern Europe and Latin America, The Day of the Dead.
The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen! - Matthew 13:41-43
A concept that has lost favor of late is the idea of Purgatory, that place between heaven and earth where souls wait to be let into Eternal Life.
It was Purgatory that made the Day of the Dead so popular. People have this day to visit with their deceased, buried and entombed relatives bringing them a party.
It is a day of celebration, and why not?
Why not have a positive view of death when we believe the life to come is amazing and worth the wait?
It just so happens that this day has special meaning for me, since it is my sister's birthday. So, we always celebrated on this day, and as the years progress, that celebration calls to mind those who are no longer with us, those who used to smile and laugh, sing the birthday song with us and take photos.
It is that collage of memories that comes to mind for me on this day. And I know my sister well enough to envision the tear in her eye when she recalls those wonderful moments as well.
It is what we should do, recall the times we have had with family and friends. We are only a compilation of our memories, after all. Nothing lasts. Everything fades, but it is through the power of memory that we keep all things alive.
While we remind ourselves that the day will come when we enter that rest, waiting for the resurrection, we might as well take a moment to revel in the joys of this life.
Even the worst days are filled with God's amazing beauty of creation, miracles all around us.
Why wait until we are too old, too sick, too fragile to enjoy what He has made for us? Let us be good souls and enjoy this day, however it comes, and be glad in it.
More to come...