When Chris and I met for lunch recently, he reminded me of Marcia’s fascination with tombstones. I recall that she visited cemeteries in New Orleans; together we looked at some while visiting cathedrals in England and the mausoleum in the new cathedral in Los Angeles. I have no clue what her children plan to put on her gravestone at Sunnyside Cemetery but given that she spent many years in religious education and parish ministry, perhaps what one person had placed on his gravestone could serve as Marcia’s last chance to pass a bit of wisdom on to us.
Remember stranger as you pass by
as you are now, so once was I
As I am now, so shall you be
so prepare yourself to follow me.
Someone had written in chalk below on that man’s gravestone, “to follow you, I am quite content, but how do I know which way you went?”
Indeed, how do we know which way Marcia went? As Christians, we hold the conviction that ultimately there are only two options beyond death’s threshold: eternity with God or eternity apart from God. As noted in the Book of Wisdom, we believe that “the souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them.” Some people, however, see life only as a span of time from the womb to the tomb; to them “their going forth from us, utter destruction.”
But we think otherwise. We see death as a transition from a journey measured by time to one that will be timeless. Our plea to the Good shepherd conveys that belief. “Shepherd me, O God, beyond my wants, beyond my fears, from death into life.” Until we get there, we speculate what heaven may be like. I recall a Far Side cartoon that showed someone sitting on a cloud, obviously bored, bemoaning “I sure wish I had bought that magazine with me!” I have a feeling that we won’t be bored for our undivided attention will be focused on God. Freed from our self-interests and wants, we will be joining other holy ones to fully worship God for all eternity.
Paul asks, “What will separate us from the love of Christ?” He feels that nothing could and listed just about everything, convinced that none “will be able to separate us from the love of God.” What he overlooked was “us.” Having given us free will, God leaves the choice to us to be with him for all eternity or not. We can freely choose to be distant from God in this lifetime, but if we do, we could find ourselves even more distant from God in the next lifetime.
If God had his druthers, we would all prepare ourselves to be with him forever. He sent his son, Jesus, to show us the way. The notion of dying may be unsettling yet Jesus tells us not to let our hearts be troubled but to have faith in him for he has gone to prepare a place for us. “Where I am going you know the way.”
Thomas speaks for many of us when he admits, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus then sums up his entire mission by saying, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
When we proclaim the Nicene Creed, we profess our belief in the resurrection not only of Jesus Christ, but also of every person in history. When we say, “I look forward to the resurrection of the dead,” the words may mean little until times like this when we find ourselves confronting the reality that someone who has touched our lives is gone. Will we see Marcia again? The answer is yes. While she is no longer present to us as she once was, Marcia is just as real as any ship that has sailed over the horizon.
I still recall the day I walked off the ferry 11 years ago and there was Marcia standing by her green convertible with the top down, waiting to welcome me to my new home and take me on a short tour of south Whidbey. That was the first of many trips we would take together to meetings on the mainland enjoying lattes along the way and southern California, as well as the Holy Land, England and Scotland. She certainly loved to travel.
So, I think of her now as being on another trip, only this time she won’t be coming back to Langley. I believe Marcia experienced an incredible journey when she passed away nine days ago five months after suffering a massive stroke, one that surpassed any journey she ever had in this lifetime, including driving Route 66 with Pat or going to South Africa with Tori.
Likewise, I believe an incredible journey awaits us when our appointed time comes, provided we have prepared ourselves for this journey of a lifetime. Until then, both death and heaven will remain a mystery for us but when the moment arrives, we will find ourselves face to face with God and with our loved ones who have gone before us marked with faith, including Marcia, who will be there to embrace us with joy when Jesus greets us with open arms, “Welcome home, my child, to the place I have prepared for you.”
I wonder if she will be offering me my favorite latte?