Perhaps it is because we are nearing the year 2000. Perhaps it is because I am nearing my fiftieth birthday. Perhaps it is because we have members of our church family nearing the end of their lives. Most likely it is all these factors plus a few others, but lately, mortality has been on my mind. I have been pondering the fact that we are finite; impermanent; limited.
Some people try to live as if life will continue forever, but it most certainly does not. The question is never if we are going to die, but always when we are going to die. Life on this earth is temporary, whether we choose to face it or not.
The well known 90th Psalm reminds us of this reality. The psalmist addresses God saying, "You turn us back to dust, and say, 'Turn back, you mortals'...(we are) like grass that is renewed in the morning...in the evening it fades and withers...our years come to an end like a sigh."
Sounds pretty depressing, doesn't it? Thinking about life's end is something we avoid most of the time. I am not advocating that we dwell on it, because if contemplating our death becomes an obsession it becomes destructive. But we must also recognize that ignoring our finite nature is not only naive, but foolish.
The 90th Psalm advises us to be aware of the passage of time. Life is continually moving on. One reminder of this fact is the annual rite of graduation. Those who are graduating often feel as if they have finally reached the end of a very long journey. They have worked for years, and finally achieved their goal. Now they are embarking on a new stage of their lives. But most parents and grandparents see it from a different perspective. They think, "Not too long ago, she was just a little girl, but now she's a young woman and a graduate. Where did the years go?"
Last month, when we honored the graduates in our congregation, I had similar thoughts. I looked at some of the high school graduates and remembered that when I came to this church, they were little second graders who would scurry up to the front for the children's sermon. And all I could think was, "How could they have grown up so quickly?" The days are truly flying by.
It's easy to see why the psalmist says that life is short. One day our children are learning to walk, the next day they are learning to drive. Then they graduate and then they get married and then they have children of their own. And it all happens much faster than we ever expected.
The Dean of Duke Divinity School wrote an interesting essay recently. First, I have to tell you his name. You're going to love this. His name is Gregory Jones. From that mere fact alone, we must assume that he is bright, witty, charming, kind-hearted, intelligent, and a joy to be around! (Sorry, I couldn't resist). Anyway, he wrote an essay on parenting, and in the essay, he refers to a conversation he had with a family friend who described her approach to parental responsibility as "I just want my children to be happy." Dr. Jones suggests that "I just want my children to be happy" has become a mantra, a kind of catch-all moral imperative which has become the delight of marketers and makers of children's products. And it has also become what many adults want for themselves: "I just want to be happy." What could be simpler? What could be more elemental? And, what's so wrong with wanting to be happy? Nothing. Unless it becomes our primary focus, our overriding passion, our god. When that happens, something is wrong in our heart and our soul.(1)
We need more than happiness in life, and that's what the 90th Psalm is telling us. The psalmist says to God, "Teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart." The psalmist wants us to know the importance of wisdom. And that wisdom comes from knowing that life does not go on forever. Wisdom teaches us that our time on earth is much too valuable to squander. We can't afford to simply fill up our time watching television and playing sports and partying. We must also make meaningful contributions to the world. We must touch other people's lives with love, we must stand up for justice, we must share with those in need, we must take care of God's creation, we must comfort those experiencing grief. Our time on earth needs to be more than just happy, it needs to be richly fulfilling. Life is short, so we must use our time wisely. The Buddha suggested that we should have a little bird sitting on our shoulder that periodically whispers in our ear, "Is this the day? Is this the last of your days?"(2)
The 90th Psalm is not an invitation to a pity party. It does not simply whack us up side the head and say, "Wake up! Life does not go on forever." It helps us understand how to get the most out of life, and it also gives us a reason for being hopeful.
When we understand the transitory nature of life, it becomes precious. If life went on forever, most of us would put things off indefinitely. The fact that life comes to an end, forces us to buckle down. It forces us to become aware of the danger of procrastinating. We can't wait forever to tell people that we love them. We can't wait forever to forgive someone who has wronged us. We can't wait forever to care for those with needs. We don't have forever, so we need to take care of certain things while there's still time.
Understanding the transitory nature of life, also adds intensity to our existence. Knowing there is an end, highlights the importance of the present. Often this gives people the strength and courage they need to stand up for what is right.
A South African church leader was a visiting lecturer at a well-known American university. The man had been deeply involved in the struggle against apartheid. His story was harrowing and inspiring as he described the risks he had taken and the suffering, persecution, imprisonment and torture he endured. Following the lecture, a student asked the pastor what his children had thought about his actions. How had they coped with the risks and suffering that all the family members had to endure because of the parents' commitment to justice?
The South African minister told how painful it was because his children did suffer. They received death threats and hateful phone calls. He described the pain of being away from them for long periods of time. In fact, the whole thing was so painful that he and his wife had spent much time talking about it and they had even asked their childrens' forgiveness.
But, he said, "all four of his children now recognize the family's involvement in the struggle as a gift . . .even amidst the pain and suffering they endured growing up, they are grateful for the witness their family bore. They see that witness as a gift, for they recognize that their parents taught them the importance of having convictions on which you would stake your life."(3)
We may never be involved in something as dramatic as being imprisoned for our beliefs, but when we understand that life will not last forever, we feel compelled to make our lives count for something. We don't want to die without having made a positive contribution to the world. And so we search for the strength to stand up for our convictions.
The 90th Psalm teaches us something else very important. Something which not only gives us wisdom, but which also produces hope. It tells us that in contrast to the brevity of our lives, is the eternal nature of God. The psalmist writes, "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God...For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past."
You may have heard the story about the young man who asked God how long a million years was to God. And God replied, "A million years to me is like a single second in your time." Then the young man asked God what a million dollars was to God. And God replied, "A million dollars to me is like a single penny to you." And so the young man got up his courage and asked, "God, could I have one of your pennies?" And God answered, "Certainly. In just a second."(4)
We finite human beings find hope in our infinite God. Our lives are marked by decay and death, but these same categories do not apply to the God of the universe; the One who is our Creator; the One who is our loving Parent; the One who wants us to join Him in eternity.
And that brings us to the underlying premise of this entire psalm which is stated in the first verse. The psalm begins: "Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations." In other words, God is our genuine home. We find not only our origin, but also our destiny in God. So whether we die young or whether we are fortunate enough to live a long, full life, we live forever with God. And that gives us the hope we need to live this life to the fullest, knowing that when our earthly, physical existence ends, a new life with God will begin.
This morning's reading from Romans reinforces this notion, when it states that there is nothing in all creation, not even death, which can separate us from God. Death IS coming to each one of us, so we must use our time on earth wisely. That way, our final homecoming will be a true celebration.
NOTES
1. From a sermon by John Buchanan, entitled, "The Lesson of Mount Moriah" preached at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago on June 27, 1999.
2. From a sermon by William Willimon entitled, "The Time of Our Lives," preached at the 1999 Duke University Baccalaureate Service.
3. Buchanan, "The Lesson of Mount Moriah."
4. Attributed to Debbi Field, founder of Mrs. Field's Cookies.
© 1999 Gregory Knox Jones, all rights reserved