On Death
There was a memorial service for one of my former Regent friends: Maureen Morley. Maureen was beautiful in every sense of that word. Her husband Steve was a fantastic guy.
I love them both.
I had planned on going to the service. But a flurry of personal things prevented me from doing so, filling me with regret.
Maureen was first diagnosed with breast cancer. It was treated. Later the cancer was discovered in her bones, which of course is terminal. It can be treated, but after awhile Maureen chose to forego treatment and to accept the inevitable. (Note - I am not entirely sure on all these details, please correct me and I will edit this).
She was an amazing writer. Her blog is still live here. It does not note her passing. But you can read some of her writing there.
It is interesting that I will be sharing on suffering tomorrow night. Particularly in the context of our buddy Job.
I read Job twice to prepare for tomorrow. What stuck me this time was that Job held on to a worldview in which the good are blessed and the wicked are cursed. Job is living in the land of Karma, he has not transitioned into the land of grace.
His entire outburst against God is an attempt to understand why he (a good man) has been so afflicted.
His three counsellors actually do speak the truth, but it is disembodied truth. It is is not spoken in the context of a loving relationship. We are called to speak the truth to each other and to the world, but that truth always, always needs to be shrouded in love. Otherwise our message will be deflected by a needy world as mere dogmatic diatribes.
Anyways - we all suffer. Maureen suffered in a way I may never be able to enter into. But when she suffered, we all felt pain - not physical pain - but deep emotional pain. Now that she's gone her days of pain are over. Our pain moves on in a different form: relief for her, sadness at her absence - over riding it all is gratefulness for GRACE which sustains us, empowers us and allows us to find comfort, and in turn comfort others.
Bye Maureen - I'll see you at His place.
I love them both.
I had planned on going to the service. But a flurry of personal things prevented me from doing so, filling me with regret.
Maureen was first diagnosed with breast cancer. It was treated. Later the cancer was discovered in her bones, which of course is terminal. It can be treated, but after awhile Maureen chose to forego treatment and to accept the inevitable. (Note - I am not entirely sure on all these details, please correct me and I will edit this).
She was an amazing writer. Her blog is still live here. It does not note her passing. But you can read some of her writing there.
It is interesting that I will be sharing on suffering tomorrow night. Particularly in the context of our buddy Job.
I read Job twice to prepare for tomorrow. What stuck me this time was that Job held on to a worldview in which the good are blessed and the wicked are cursed. Job is living in the land of Karma, he has not transitioned into the land of grace.
His entire outburst against God is an attempt to understand why he (a good man) has been so afflicted.
His three counsellors actually do speak the truth, but it is disembodied truth. It is is not spoken in the context of a loving relationship. We are called to speak the truth to each other and to the world, but that truth always, always needs to be shrouded in love. Otherwise our message will be deflected by a needy world as mere dogmatic diatribes.
Anyways - we all suffer. Maureen suffered in a way I may never be able to enter into. But when she suffered, we all felt pain - not physical pain - but deep emotional pain. Now that she's gone her days of pain are over. Our pain moves on in a different form: relief for her, sadness at her absence - over riding it all is gratefulness for GRACE which sustains us, empowers us and allows us to find comfort, and in turn comfort others.
Bye Maureen - I'll see you at His place.
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