Questions From Reading Obituaries

As part of my regular morning ritual, I retrieve the morning paper from my driveway. Sometimes I retrieve it from the yard, street, or wherever it happens to land.

As I walk up the driveway toward the house, I open the front section, scan the headlines above the fold, and then turn the page to the obituaries. I’m not looking to find my name, but the names of those whom I might know. I have also discovered on at least one occasion, I was scheduled to perform a funeral for a person I did not know. I also did not know I was to officiate at the funeral.

I immediately called the funeral director who apologized and said, “Well, I had to put something in the paper.” Lesson to funeral directors and families: Always check with the pastor or officiant before you put something in print.

As it turned out, I had just moved from the area and could not then return. I suppose someone else was secured to preach that funeral. I never heard.

Anyway, this week I followed my usual routine one morning. I read that day, as I have often, of people who lived and died. Some are old, some are young. Some are my age! What I find interesting is what is said about the departed. “He loved his family.” “He enjoyed fishing, visiting with family and friends," and any number of pastimes. Other notices say, “She was a caring person,” and so on. You get the idea.

Is that the most that can be said of a life? I often struggle when preparing to preach a funeral message to capture a life in a few carefully chosen words or paragraphs. How do you summarize a life in a few moments?

This particular morning an obituary gave me pause.

The obituary of this individual was rather lengthy. It listed a number of achievements, jobs held, and accolades given. It was more a biography than an obituary.

As it concluded, one omission was glaring.

No mention of church affiliation or any type of religious service to be held. There would be a “celebration of life.” Good. We should celebrate lives well lived.

But in this case, nothing was said of eternal things. No mention of faith. No mention of church activities. No preacher to conduct a funeral service.

People can live a active, noteworthy life. But when that life is over, what remains besides memories, trophies, and items for heirs to inherit?

In short, in all of life’s achievements, what had this person done that would last?

A favorite two line poem says it like this:

Only one life, it will soon be past;
Only what's done for Christ will last.

Isn’t that what really matters?